Alonso vs Iraola vs Maresca

Three Premier League teams with designs on winning some serious silverware have changed managers over the course of the summer, with Xabi Alonso, Andoni Iraola and Enzo Maresca taking charge of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively.

Each man has their own strengths and weaknesses, but what does history tell us about what supporters of their new clubs can expect and are there any accurate football predictions that we can make?

XABI ALONSO

Having taken his first steps into management at Real Sociedad B, securing one promotion and one relegation during his three-season stay, it was at Bayer Leverkusen that Alonso really caught the eye:

BAYER LEVERKUSEN – BUNDESLIGA

Inheriting a side that was struggling at the wrong end of the table, the Spaniard presided over finishes of 6th, 1st and 2nd during his spell in the Bundesliga, going unbeaten during the title-winning 2023/24 campaign.

What’s more, he also enjoyed success in the 2023/24 DFB-Pokal and 2024 DFL-Supercup during his time in Germany, as well as reaching both a semi-final (2022/23) and final (2023/24) of the Europa League.

Real Madrid, a club that he had represented with distinction during his playing career, then came calling, but rumours of dressing room unrest undermined his short-lived tenure at the Bernabeu:

REAL MADRID – LA LIGA

That said, the 2010 World Cup winner’s record in the Spanish capital was none-too-shabby, starting out with six straight wins in La Liga and averaging comfortably over two points per game.

ANDONI IRAOLA

Following an ill-fated seven-month spell in charge of AEK Larnaca, Iraola rebuilt his reputation by taking Segunda Division side Mirandes to the semi-finals of the 2019/20 Copa del Rey, knocking out Celta Vigo, Sevilla and Villarreal along the way.

A move to Rayo Vallecano followed, where, after securing promotion through the playoffs in 2020/21, the former Athletic Bilbao stalwart flourished during his two seasons in the top-flight:

RAYO VALLECANO – LA LIGA

As well as reaching another Copa del Rey semi-final in 2021/22, the Spaniard also guided his newly-promoted charges to a La Liga double over Barcelona, following that up in 2022/23 with seven points out of 12 in games against the Catalan giants and Real Madrid.

Having made the move to English football with Bournemouth in the summer of 2023, Iraola has improved the Cherries year on year, defying the Premier League tipsters who thought his number was up following a nine-game winless start to his top-flight tenure:

BOURNEMOUTH – PREMIER LEAGUE

It would be fair to say that you don’t land the Liverpool job without laying some serious groundwork and finishes of 12th, ninth and sixth, the latter of which secured European football for the first time in the South Coast club’s history, have certainly done that for the 44-year-old.

ENZO MARESCA

Having worked at Ascoli, Sevilla, West Ham United and Manchester City in various coaching capacities, Enzo Maresca’s first taste of the top job came in an unsuccessful sixth-month stint at Parma in Serie B during the 2021/22 campaign.

A return to the Etihad Stadium followed as the Italian joined Pep Guardiola’s staff for the Citizens’ incredible 2022/23 treble-winning campaign, before he set out on his own again at Leicester City, guiding the Foxes to the Championship title in 2023/24.

That success persuaded Chelsea to bring the former West Bromwich Albion midfielder to Stamford Bridge, where he lasted one and a half seasons amidst the revolving door policy that had already seen Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino come and go under the club’s American ownership:

CHELSEA – PREMIER LEAGUE

During his time in West London, Maresca was not without success, winning both the Conference League (2024/25) and the expanded FIFA Club World Cup (summer 2025), as well as securing qualification for the Champions League courtesy of a fourth-place finish in the Premier League (2024/25).

Ultimately, it was the breakdown in his relationship with the owners, rather than results on the pitch, that led to the Italian’s departure, and he seems to have enjoyed a strong bond with his players wherever he has been in recent seasons.

THE THREE MEN IN A NUTSHELL

Between them, these three guys have managed 360 games across the English, German and Spanish top-flights, taking charge of clubs of varying sizes:

When it comes to experience, Iraola has a clear advantage over the other two men, completing five full top-flight campaigns, although he is the only one of the trio not to have managed a European giant until now.

Consequently, the former Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth boss’ return of 1.33 points per game appears fairly paltry, particularly when measured against Alonso’s astonishing 2.20 and Maresca’s 1.74.

Another statistic well worth taking note of if you want to beat the bookies is the rate at which Alonso’s teams hit the back of the net. Ahead of the new season, this stands at an incredible 2.21 goals per game, so any Premier League football predictions that offer up Joao Pedro as an alternative to Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot have to be taken seriously.

At top-flight level, it would be fair to say that Iraola has never known failure, though he has never known real expectation either. On the other hand, both Alonso and Maresca have experience of working in a pressure-cooker environment, whilst they can also point to silverware won.

THOUGHTS

PREMIER LEAGUE PREDICTION: 2nd - Of the three, Alonso appears likeliest to hit the ground running, inheriting a talented young squad who are more likely to buy into his methods than a dressing room full of egos at Real Madrid were prepared to. Extremely flexible in his tactical approach and with no European football to contend with, the Chelsea boss may well transform his new team into Arsenal’s closest domestic challengers.

PREMIER LEAGUE PREDICTION: 3rd - Patience will be key at Anfield, both in the boardroom and on the terraces, with defensive issues in pre-season suggesting that Liverpool could get off to a slow start. History shows, however, that Iraola will eventually get things right, with his intensive style of play likely to go down well at a club that thrived under the management of Jurgen Klopp.

PREMIER LEAGUE PREDICTION: 6th - As David Moyes and Unai Emery found to their cost, following on from a legendary former manager is far from ideal. This is the situation that Maresca has walked into at Manchester City, with the Community Shield mauling at the hands of Arsenal not boding well for the season ahead. Despite enjoying success at both Leicester City and Chelsea, plenty of supporters of those clubs bemoaned the 46-year-old’s laboured, possession-based approach to the game, so it is easy to see things going wrong very quickly at the Etihad Stadium.