Photo: Giovanni Batista Rodriguez / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Xabi Alonso has outlined his footballing philosophy ahead of Chelsea's final pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with the new manager's views featured in the returning matchday programme.
Alonso, who won silverware with Spanish, English and German clubs and is a two-time European champion and World Cup winner as a player, said collective responsibility is at the core of his approach to coaching.
"I would say that it's about the collective responsibility," Alonso said. "I think that we have always had that view to always feel responsible about teamwork – how can I help my team-mate? How can I prepare a strategic vision to achieve this goal? It's very much there in the Basque society, and that's continuous in the way we view football, as players and as managers in this case."
The manager, who grew up in the Basque Country, said those values will directly shape how he works with the Chelsea squad. "[Those values] live with me, so I will transmit them to the players, because I don't understand football in any other way than with these fundamentals, knowing that the team is always the most important. For sure, the individuals count so much, but always for the benefit of the team."
The matchday programme also features introductions to new squad members this season, a look at the Spanish influence on Chelsea over the years, key statistics from last season, a pre-season round-up, and coverage of Chelsea players' participation at the FIFA World Cup.
The publication additionally pays tribute to the late Bobby Tambling and Ken Bates, both of whom died during the close season.