Marco Palestra is the first player of the Xabi Alonso era at Chelsea and the Italian defender has explained why the Blues’ new manager played such an important role in his decision to move to Stamford Bridge.
Palestra has signed a contract until 2033 and will strengthen Alonso’s defensive capabilities ahead of the new season. The 21-year-old, who made his Italy debut earlier this year, listed several reasons why he was persuaded to join Chelsea. Chief among them was our new man at the helm, Alonso.
“It was very important,” Palestra says.
“I feel a lot of energy from him. In addition, he is one of the best managers in the world (as you can see when), which he won at Bayer Leverkusen. It is important for me that Xabi Alonso is the coach.
“I had two conversations with him and I’m very happy because he told me what he wants from me. I’m very excited to meet him and start training with Chelsea.
You can watch the full interview with CFC+, our new global content subscription service, by clicking here. In it, the defender also talks about Chelsea’s long-standing links with Italy, describes his playing style and outlines his goals at the Bridge. He has a message for Blues fans too.
CFC+ available as separate annual subscription from £14.99 per year in the UK by clicking here. It also comes standard for everyone with a True Blue+ membership – our next level Official Chelsea membership – or Junior Blue membership.