Photo: Werner100359 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Xabi Alonso praised Academy midfielder Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli after the 16-year-old started Chelsea's pre-season friendly against Juventus in Hong Kong on 5 August, holding his own against seasoned internationals.
Nicoll-Jazuli lined up alongside Moises Caicedo against a Juventus midfield featuring Italian international Manuel Locatelli and Brazilian international Douglas Luiz. The England youth international played the opening two-thirds of the match before being replaced by Romeo Lavia.
"It's incredible – I don't even remember when I was 16 who I was playing against," Alonso said. "But he was playing against Locatelli, against Douglas Luiz, these experienced players. For sure it's something that he will remember in the future."
Alonso was clear that the performance, while encouraging, represents only a starting point. "You can learn so much, as what it takes to be a top-level player is not just about having good technique. It's about understanding the game, having composure with the ball, when to defend hard, many things that he still has to learn."
The Chelsea manager added: "This is what I like: to see players progress. So far, they have this desire to learn."
The Juventus match was Chelsea's third fixture on their summer tour of Australia and Asia. The Blues failed to win the game, with Alonso noting that Chelsea lost control in the final minutes of the first half and that heavy substitutions disrupted the second half.
"We started pretty well; the first 30-to-35 minutes we played with good control and created a few chances," Alonso said. "Unfortunately, we didn't get to win, but it's a process, minutes for everyone, and we have two more games before we go back to London."
Chelsea return to London after the tour with their 2026/27 Premier League campaign approaching.