Roberto Di Matteo — who led Chelsea to their first UEFA Champions League title in 2011/12 — has backed new manager Xabi Alonso to lead the Blues back to Europe’s premier competition in his first season at the helm.
Chelsea had a dismal 2025/26 season, finishing 10th in the English Premier League after sitting near the top of the table for much of the first half of the season. A mid-season collapse which accelerated after the January 1 departure of Enzo Maresca led to Chelsea failing to qualify for Europe.
However, Di Matteo, now an advisory board member at FC Zurich and a SuperSport pundit for the duration of the FIFA World Cup, believes that Chelsea’s absence from European competitions this season may be a blessing in disguise for their Premier League hopes.
“The problem with the Chelsea history is that the last 25 or 30 years, we’ve been used to winning trophies almost every year; so we’ve been very spoiled over the last three decades. It’s part of our DNA to expect a winning team,” Di Matteo told ESPN.
“Circumstances change… A year ago, Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup and also the Conference League – so two trophies last year.
“People tend to have short memories sometimes and lack a little bit of objectivity in terms of results, but having said that, last season was not a good season in any terms for Chelsea Football Club.
“There’s a new chapter and new manager for next season. Also, I think there is a big advantage for the next coming season, because we’re not in any international competition – so the manager will be able to work the whole week with the team, shape the team and prepare the team.
“I would hope and expect them to have a really good season and be in the top four this coming season.”
There is precedent for Di Matteo’s prediction, as Antonio Conte guided Chelsea to their most recent Premier League title in 2016-17 off the back of a 10th-place finish in 2015-16 under José Mourinho and then Guus Hiddink (with Steve Holland taking charge of a 3-1 win over Sunderland in between Mourinho’s sacking and Hiddink’s arrival).
Chelsea were under three separate head coaches last season: Maresca, Liam Rosenior and Calum McFarlane. McFarlane’s time in charge was always intended to be temporary, but Rosenior was sacked less than four months into a 5½-year deal.
Maresca’s previous abrupt departure has been attributed by both the Italian and Chelsea to have been due to a desire to succeed Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, which he ultimately did. A confidential settlement was reached, which Chelsea have said included compensation to be paid by Maresca and Manchester City to the London club.
Alonso’s four-year contract does not give him any guarantees of a lengthy stay if precedent is anything to go by, but unlike Maresca and Rosenior, the Spaniard has been given the title of “manager” rather than “head coach”.
Chelsea will kick off their Premier League campaign with a visit to West London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage on August 24.
