Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia discusses pre-season tour and new manager Xabi Alonso
Pre-Season Preparations in Sydney
Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia has shared his thoughts on the club’s pre-season tour, highlighting the team’s experiences in Sydney and their work under new manager Xabi Alonso. The tour provides an opportunity for supporters who cannot attend matches at Stamford Bridge to engage with the team, with fans demonstrating their passion from the moment the squad arrived.
Lavia noted the positive reception the team has received in Sydney, underscoring the global recognition of the Chelsea badge. Upon their arrival on Saturday night, the players took a walk to help recover from the long flight, allowing them to explore parts of the city. While the primary focus remains on training and preparation, there is hope for more opportunities to see the city in the coming days.
The two-week pre-season period is considered crucial for team bonding. Lavia mentioned that being together daily, exploring new places, and creating memories helps to foster unity within the squad. This unity is seen as beneficial once the team takes to the pitch for competitive matches.
Alonso’s Impact and Training Methods
The players have expressed enjoyment in working with Xabi Alonso, who brings significant experience to his role as manager. Pre-season training has concentrated on establishing fundamental principles, with the aim of building towards a successful season. Lavia specifically praised Alonso’s abilities, noting his past as a top-level player and observing his skills during training sessions, particularly his ball distribution.
An open training session overseen by Xabi Alonso took place at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on Sunday evening. This ticketed event offered media and fans a first look at Alonso’s coaching style ahead of his initial match in charge. Senior players, including Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Levi Colwill, participated in the session.
The training began with a centre-circle huddle, followed by a warm-up and a rondo exercise, which focuses on possession. The session then progressed to a series of other possession-based drills, concluding with crossing and finishing exercises. Alonso’s coaching staff was observed to be large and well-coordinated. Notably, there was no preferential treatment given to established players like Palmer over younger squad members, such as 16-year-olds Reggie Watson and Mahdi Nichol-Jazuli.
Approximately 4,500 fans attended the training session, displaying knowledge of the squad and interacting with staff members like Willie Isa and Calum McFarlane. A group of Kazakh fans were also present to support new striker Dastan Satpaev.
Player Fitness and Upcoming Fixtures
Lavia reported feeling good personally, having undertaken significant work with club staff to ensure he was prepared for a strong start to pre-season. He expressed anticipation for the upcoming matches.
Regarding injuries, winger Geovany Quenda is expected to return from a minor injury during the club’s tour of Asia next week. The 19-year-old had been training under Alonso but was not part of the 27-man squad that traveled to Sydney due to a minor setback. Fellow summer signing Emmanuel Emegha is also sidelined with an injury that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the overseas tour, though he is anticipated to be available for the start of the Premier League season.
The team is looking forward to their match against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday. Discussions with people in Sydney suggest it will be a competitive game, and the team hopes to deliver a performance that satisfies their supporters. Following this fixture, the team is scheduled to play against Tottenham.
Source: chelseafc.com