Chelsea hired Xabi Alonso as its latest coach on a four-year deal on Sunday, with the Spaniard making his return to management after a disappointing eight-month spell at Real Madrid.Alonso will formally take charge on July 1 as the replacement for Liam Rosenior, who was fired last month, and will become the fifth permanent coach appointed by Chelseas American owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital since they bought the club in 2022.Alonso lasted eight months at Madrid before leaving the club by mutual consent in January after poor results and widespread media reports that he lost control of the locker room. That damaged his strong reputation built at Bayer Leverkusen, which he led to the German title and an unbeaten domestic campaign in the 2023-24 season.Chelsea described Alonso as one of the most respected figures in the modern game.From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition, Alonso said in a Chelsea statement. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.Chelsea looks highly unlikely to be in next season's Champions League, however, and might miss out on European competition entirely. The club was guaranteed a trophyless season by losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, though did win the Club World Cup last summer.After an unseemly end to Rosenior's turbulent tenure, Chelsea's ownership said it would be undertaking a process of self-reflection ahead of its next coaching appointment, amid growing tension among supporters about the direction of an increasingly dysfunctional club and its massive financial concerns following years of heavy spending.Since the 2022 purchase of Chelsea by a consortium fronted by Boehly, part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and largely funded by private equity company Clearlake Capital, the clubs leadership has spent around $2.5 billion on new, mostly young and unproven players on long contracts and taken on a debt approaching $2 billion, according to figures compiled by The Athletic.Chelseas most recent financial results revealed the club made pre-tax losses of $350 million, a record in the Premier League era.It's with this backdrop that Alonso moves to Chelsea, which he described as one of the biggest clubs in world football.There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club and it will be my great honor to lead it, he said. Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Xabi Alonso has sent a message to Chelsea fans after being announced as the Blues' new manager.The Spaniard has signed a four-year deal in west London, set to begin on July 1, 2026.In a message to Chelsea fans, Alonso said: "Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football, and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club."From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour Say"We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies."There is great talent in the squad and huge potential at this football club, and it will be my great honour to lead it. "Now the focus is on hard work, building the right culture and winning trophies."Alonso typically plays in a 3-4-2-1 shape, a system that resonates well at Stamford Bridge, having won the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel and the Premier League with Antonio Conte, both playing a three-back.The formation offers vast width across the pitch, which was seen during the Spaniard's tenure at Bayer Leverkusen.The system worked incredibly well in Germany, with Leverkusen winning 28 games and drawing six, going undefeated.Leverkusen ended Bayern Munich's 11-year stranglehold on the trophy, as Alonso delivered its first Bundesliga title.His style of play focuses on using the ball deep into the opposition's final third, creating chances through quick, fluid play.When asked about how his team dominates the ball, Alonso said: "Possession football is not about keeping the ball for the sake of it. "It's about patience, precision, and creating the right opportunities to break down the opposition."The quote will resonate well with Chelsea fans who have previously voiced frustrations about the way the Blues build up from the back, with jeers often heard across Stamford Bridge about the side-to-side football being played.Chelsea made the announcement less than 24 hours after their FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City.Talks have been ongoing for weeks with the former Liverpool midfielder.Alonso has been out of a job since January 2026 after departing Real Madrid, just seven months into a three-year contract.The appointment marks a new chapter in west London and gives Blues fans hope that their club can start challenging with the elite again.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is appointed as Chelsea manager - a day after their FA Cup final defeat by Manchester City.

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A dog walker recently stumbled upon an ancient axe head during a routine walk in a forest an item that's believed to date back three millennia.The axe was found by a dog walker named John in the Forest of Dean, a historic woodland in western Gloucestershire, England, near the border with Wales.The area is known for its ancient trees and dense canopy, and the man spotted the axe "nestled among the roots of a fallen tree in woodland near Brierley," officials said.WORKERS STUMBLE UPON HISTORIC BURIAL SITE AND 'INCREDIBLY RARE' FIND DURING SEWER PROJECTThe discovery was announced in a recent press release from Forestry England, a government agency that manages publicly owned English forests."The find was quickly reported to Forestry England, who manage the woodland," the release said."The object was handed over for recording and investigation."The axe dates to the Middle Bronze Age, which lasted from roughly 1500 to 1200 B.C. in Britain.OLDEST HANDHELD WOODEN TOOLS EVER? ANCIENT ARTIFACTS PRESERVED IN MUD MYSTIFY ARCHAEOLOGISTSIt's likely at least 3,000 years old.Kayleigh Spring, an objects conservator at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Center, identified the tool as a palstave axe.Palstave axes were designed with a side loop to be securely attached to a wooden handle."It is made from a copper alloy most likely bronze, a mix of copper and tin," Spring said in a statement.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER"This tool was originally cast in molds."The axe reflects more advanced Bronze Age craftsmanship, and Spring noted that early Bronze Age molds "were simple hollowed stones.""By the Middle Bronze Age, two-part molds allowed for more sophisticated designs like this one," she said."After confirming it tested negative for chloride ions, we carefully removed soil and corrosion under magnification and applied Incralac to protect the pitted blade and minimize future corrosion while on display."CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIESAfter analysis, the axe was sent to the Dean Heritage Center, a museum in Soudley, Gloucestershire.Leoni Dawson, a community ranger for Forestry England, said that the find "help[s] us connect with the people who lived and worked in these landscapes long before us.""Its incredible to think that tools like this have survived for thousands of years, hidden beneath our feet," said Dawson.A spokesperson for Forestry England told Fox News Digital that the find, while spectacular, is not unheard of.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ"TheForestof Dean is one of Englands largest ancientforests, shaped by centuries of history, industry and natural beauty," the official said."Finds like this, though rare, do happen."This isn't the first time in recent months that dog walkers have stumbled across history in the United Kingdom.In Scotland, two dog walkers recently found "distinct markings" on a beach in Angus that turned out to be 2,000-year-footprints.The footprints were later washed away, though archaeologists successfully made 3D models and physical casts before they were destroyed.

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34. Spieltag: Anpfiff des Spiels ist am 17.05.2026 um 15:30 Uhr. Fortuna Dsseldorf spielt in Frth.[mehr]

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