Chelsea's pre-season disrupted by grueling travel, sponsorship obligations, and poor pitch condition

Chelsea won two of their five pre-season games. Chelsea's pre-season itinerary was originally planned around new head coach Xabi Alonso, but the 56-hour, 24,561-mile flight route was actually arranged before his appointment in May.

Chelsea undertook the longest and most time-consuming tour of any Premier League club this summer, covering almost double the distance of former coach Enzo Maresca's trip to the United States last season. They visited Sydney, Hong Kong, and Jakarta before concluding their tour in Iskandar Puteri, Malaysia, on Sunday.

The grueling journey left many players exhausted, but Alonso was determined to push through. He maintained a rigorous training pace of 4 minutes 30 seconds per kilometer, "shaking off" jet lag alongside club staff.

This set a no-excuses tone for the team. His participation in a staff match before departure reinforced this message.

The 44-year-old former World Cup winner's team won the match, with Alonso playing a key role in creating goals.

Before the trip, Alonso had already scheduled intensive physical training at Cobham, including weeks of demanding double sessions. During the Asian tour, Chelsea maintained focus on key tactical elements despite the challenges of travel and fatigue.

Alonso said that he and the players learned a great deal from each other, both on and off the pitch, during pre-season.

Chelsea made several arrangements to mitigate the burden. The club chartered an Airbus A340 and had players adjust to Sydney time immediately upon boarding, with mandatory rest periods after meals during the flight. The flight stopped at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, Sri Lanka, before continuing to Australia.

At Sydney FC's home ground, Sky Park, Chelsea used a compact but well-maintained training facility. The team also held a low-intensity open training session at Allianz Stadium.

The training session highlighted Alonso's hands-on coaching style. He frequently demonstrated passes himself and would ask players like Estêvão Willian-Amo to practice crossing with their weaker foot, followed by finishing drills with teammates.

Alonso also scored with a 25-yard volley during the same training session, reminding observers of his status as one of the finest midfielders of his era at Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

England defender Levi Colwill remarked that he "envied" Alonso's passing ability.

Midfielder Romeo Lavia said: "The coach was a great player and one of the best of his generation. You notice it immediately in training.

"The feel he has for passing is something only someone who has played at the highest level possesses. It's an honor to work with him, especially as a fellow midfielder."

Australian rugby league figure Les Kiss, a Chelsea supporter, exchanged jerseys with Alonso after visiting him near the team's headquarters.

The squad included numerous 16 and 17-year-old players, most notably Sydney-born Maddey Nikolas-Jazouli, who emerged as one of the tour's standout performers with several impressive midfield displays.

Due to his mother's connection to Sydney and his potential future eligibility for the Australian national team, local media took great interest in him, despite his current involvement with the England U17 program.

Young players were given free time to watch films, visit the harbor, and experience local culture. The luxury hotel overlooking Darling Harbour offered table tennis, darts, and video games.

A notable highlight came when Chelsea and Tottenham players were granted a free day before meeting each other in front of 80,000 fans.

A sponsor event was held near Bondi Beach, and another activity saw the entire squad complete fitness training at the North Sydney Pool under the Harbour Bridge, followed by relaxation in hot springs and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez also appeared on breakfast television before the match.

Colwill described the tour as an excellent team-building experience, though the 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers and the 1-2 loss to Tottenham demonstrated that Alonso's project is still in its early stages.

Insiders noted similarities to Mauricio Pochettino's tenure in Chelsea's initial approach, with heavy emphasis on physical conditioning. However, as key players returned from international duty, tactical elements began to take greater prominence.

In the first three matches, Alonso largely retained Maresca's preferred 4-2-3-1 system, which was later also used by interim manager Liam Rosenior.

Co-owner Behdad Eghbali, alongside sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Joe Shields and other senior executives, attended the tour in Australia. Chelsea's transfer operations progressed across time zones, with the club completing deals for Matz Sels, Danny Welbeck, Tosin Adarabioyo, and later Spanish defender Pep Chavarría.

Alonso was also observed conducting individual sessions with Moisés Caicedo and Nicolás González following their return, subjecting them to fitness assessments when the coaching staff was available.

Australia was also where Palmer attended his first pre-match press conference as Chelsea manager. He appeared relaxed and engaging, displaying his natural charisma and straightforward manner.

Alonso was impressed by Palmer's fitness and winning mentality, describing him as a "leader"—a quality also evident in his interactions with younger players throughout the tour.

Following a further 10-hour charter flight to Hong Kong, the squad stayed at the Kerry Hotel, where local supporters frequently gathered outside hoping for photos and autographs.

Despite the enthusiasm, excessive attention necessitated heightened security measures, with some fans even booking rooms in the same hotel in hopes of encountering players in elevators or common areas.

Palmer and Colwill were allowed to go shopping after their injuries against Tottenham, but footage of their outing demonstrated their prominence in Asia.

They were pursued for photos in a local shopping mall, illustrating the popularity of these Premier League stars in the region. Many players also received handmade gifts from well-wishers to take home.

In Hong Kong, Mykhailo Mudryk rejoined the squad alongside Welbeck, Mike Penders, Giovani Lo Celso, and Gabriel Slonina.

Mudryk's return was unplanned, but Chelsea ultimately included him as a full squad member. He had been sidelined for 20 months following a positive anti-doping test.

The Ukrainian forward's comeback was emotional. At the open training session, he received a hero's welcome; he made his return appearance as a substitute against Juventus the following Wednesday and subsequently provided a crucial assist in the 3-3 draw against Johor Darul Ta'zim.

Perhaps more significantly from a pre-season perspective was the arrival of new set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, who immediately made an impact during training.

The Scottish coach, who previously enjoyed success at Aston Villa, worked methodically with assistant coaches positioned as screeners around him, issuing instructions throughout the session.

This phase marked a noticeable increase in tactical training, with Alonso's attacking patterns becoming clearer.

Despite the 1-0 loss to Juventus at the impressive Kai Tak Sports Park, these concepts remained evident, though the poor pitch quality hindered both teams' attacking play.

On Thursday, Alonso and several players and staff played golf, while others dined out, played virtual reality games, or used their scheduled day off to visit the Tian Tan Buddha.

Alonso said: "We learned a great deal over these two weeks, not just on a football level, but also personally in getting to know each other."

Due to humidity that made the apparent temperature feel close to 39 degrees Celsius, training sessions were scheduled for later in the day. Hong Kong was their second stop, with brief stays in Indonesia and Malaysia to follow.

Against AC Milan on Saturday, Chelsea's standout player of pre-season, João Félix, scored twice in a 3-0 victory. Including closed-door fixtures, he has scored six goals in six games.

Chelsea's best performance came a week after MacPhee's arrival, when the team scored twice from corner kicks. This was also the first occasion the Blues deployed wing-backs in a back-three formation—the system with which Alonso helped Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga in 2024.

In Sunday's match against Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim, Chelsea made extensive changes and fielded numerous young players. Delap converted two penalties early on, and an own goal in the 89th minute allowed Chelsea to secure a narrow draw.

Overall, Chelsea faced numerous challenging conditions during the tour, including lengthy flights, sponsor commitments, and inferior pitch surfaces.

The squad will now enjoy a two-week break at Cobham before facing Alonso's former club Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, August 16th, and traveling to Fulham on Monday, August 19th, for the opening fixture of the Premier League season.

Despite the rigors of this summer's tour, it served as an important culture-building exercise for Alonso, who aims to use it to help Chelsea overcome the disappointments of last season.

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