Chelsea have confirmed the stunning appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new manager. Alonso, 44, has put pen to paper on a four-year contract and will begin work at the end of the current season. The Spaniard's arrival at Stamford Bridge represents a major coup for the Blues, having been courted by Europe's elite as recently as last summer. Alonso won the Bundesliga title and German cup while going unbeaten in his first full season at Bayer Leverkusen , success which eventually earned him the