Can’t Tame Us. 🦁
The 2026/27 Chelsea home kit is here. Created with @NikeFootball.
There’s a Lion in all of us. Fearless. Relentless. Impossible to control.
Available now in-store and online.
#CantTameUs
Dear football,
Today, I want to share with you that this season will be my last as a professional footballer. After so many years living my dream, I feel it’s time to start a new chapter in my life.
Being honest, even though I have been preparing myself for this moment, I found it hard to write this letter. After 20 seasons , many people have played an important role in my career.
When I first kicked a ball as a child in Pamplona with my schoolmates, I never imagined the amazing journey ahead. I’m grateful for every moment: the wins, the tough losses, the challenges, and most of all, the people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made along the way.
To my teammates, coaches, and every staff member at all the clubs I’ve been lucky to be part of, thank you for helping me grow as a person and a player every day. Wearing the shirts of CA Osasuna, Olympique Marseille, Chelsea FC, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla FC, and representing my country at the biggest stages has been a true privilege. Every moment has meant so much to me…
🚨 BREAKING: José Mourinho back to Real Madrid, HERE WE GO! 💣🤍
All terms have been verbally agreed between José Mourinho and Real Madrid, waiting to sign all documents.
Plan for initial two year deal, JM to travel to Madrid after Real-Bilbao game.
The Special One is back.
♨️WALK WITH ME ♨️
It all started during the Club World Cup in the summer of 2025. In our first game we drew 1:1 against Al Hilal and Xabi started noticing some errors in the game.
Before, Xabi told the board that certain players would be rotated and opportunities would also be given to underused players who can fit into his system. The formation was 4:3:3 in that game. After the draw he knew there has to be some tweaks because the squad wasn’t fully buying into his ideas which isn’t new considering he had just arrived.
So in the next games he played 3:5:2 with Gonzalo and Vini upfront whilst Keeping Rodrygo on the bench. This wasn’t the plan of Xabi at all, his planned
formation to start the project was 4:3:3. But he had to improvise because the club wanted to keep a proper image of themselves after a disappointing season.
After a few training sessions Xabi noticed that Vinicius isn’t an entirely convincing goalscorer so he demanded his wing backs to find Gonzalo more in the box due to his ability to position himself properly and also finish off chances. Xabi also explained to them that he wants quick movements on the ball, one two quick passes and movements and that’s why he made Gonzalo the center piece of his attack. This didn’t go down well with Vinicius because he’s a player who likes to hold unto the ball and make dribbles. This is where the tension started. But it was kept under the radar because results were good.
Until the PSG game the same 3:5:2 formation was used. The new addition was Kylian Mbappe, which made him change the formation again to 4:3:3. And that’s where the biggest issue began. Xabi wanted to keep his 3:5:2 formation but after Kylian’s goal against Dortmund, everything showed he was ready to start the next game so Xabi had a big decision to make. It’s either he keeps his 3:5:2 by dropping one of Vini or Gonzalo or go with the 4:3:3 to accommodate all three considering the fact that Gonzalo was the top scorer of the competition and it was impossible to bench him. And looking at the rival you don’t want your best finishers to be on the bench. Initially Vini was the one to be sacrificed but an injury to Trent made Xabi change his mind and moved Valverde to right back which opened another slot for Vinicius and that’s why we started the game with 4:3:3.
Also, that didn’t sit well with Valverde because under a new coach, he wanted to keep his place in the midfield. There was a tense atmosphere even before the game kicked off that’s what showed in the results.
Fast forward after the holidays and during the beginning of the season, Xabi called each player and explained their role to them in his project. Some players weren’t entirely satisfied with their role but also he gave assurances that when results are convincing there will be rotations even to key players and that’s why we saw a lot of rotations at the beginning of the season including Vinicius and Rodrygo. Before the season started Xabi explained to the board that before he can play his preferred 4:3:3 formation he needed a natural left footed right winger and that’s why the club stepped in at the last minute to hijack Franco’s move to PSG. This means the left winger position was going to be rotated between Vinicius and Rodrygo whilst Brahim and Franco takes the right and then Gonzalo becomes an understudy to Kyky at the CF role. It was simple to understand.
After the first few games Vini was rotated severally with Rodrygo which he didn’t take lightly due to the fact that he’s a star player and should be starting and completing every game unless he’s injured or he demands rest. This made his agent call Florentino and told him they are not happy with Vini’s situation at the club and if nothing is done about it they will stall the renewal talks. Perez then warned Xabi about Vinicius’ situation. And due to that Rodrygo was reduced to few cameo appearances off the bench.
A Thai publication did not care about an embargo and took out a video of the new Hilux (the video has been taken down). But yea, here is the new Hilux.