Francesco Farioli has been on Chelsea manager list – Depends on Alonso and €20m

Chelsea considered Francesco Farioli before appointing Xabi Alonso, but the Blues apparently never took their interest as far as contacting the Porto manager.

Farioli was among the options assessed internally at Stamford Bridge following Liam Rosenior’s departure. Cesc Fabregas was another name considered before Chelsea eventually went for Alonso.

In the end, Farioli has carried last season’s title-winning form into the new campaign and Porto are flying again.

But it’s fair to say there would have been a substantial financial obstacle for Chelsea had they decided to pursue him.

Chelsea interest never became contact

Calciomercato look at Farioli’s situation today and provide some more detail on Chelsea’s interest from the summer.

They say the Blues never contacted Farioli or his entourage. He was just one of the profiles considered internally before Alonso ultimately got the job.

So Chelsea never reached the stage where they would have needed to test Porto’s determination to keep him… And maybe because that could have been expensive.

Farioli is under contract until 2028 and Porto have protected themselves with a €20m (£17.4m) release clause. That drops to €15m (£13m) during the summer and winter transfer windows, says A Bola.

Former manager and now Porto president André Villas-Boas confirmed the €20m (£17.4m) figure this week during an appearance on John Obi Mikel’s podcast.

The executive explained that the club deliberately placed a high value on Farioli because of how highly they rate him. He also confirmed they brought forward his renewal last December, before the Italian had even delivered the league title.

Villas-Boas said Porto believed strongly in Farioli and that feeling went both ways. Also, Alonso was available ‘for free’ after leaving Real Madrid, while pursuing Farioli could have meant negotiating around a hefty release clause.

Farioli making Porto decision look pretty sensible

Staying at Porto certainly hasn’t hurt Farioli. The Portuguese champions have won all seven of their league matches this season. They have 21 points and already sit five clear of second place. Their latest league victory was a 3-1 win over rivals Benfica.

Farioli already has a Portuguese league title and Super Cup on his CV. His work continues to attract attention elsewhere, too.

The Italian outlet says Roma sounded him out before appointing Gian Piero Gasperini. Torino and Fiorentina were also interested after he left Ajax in 2025.

Farioli rejected the possibility of returning to Italy because he wanted to continue working abroad. Porto proved to be quite a good choice.

Calciomercato say his long-term future isn’t guaranteed, despite his contract running until 2028. They believe plenty could depend on how the managerial market develops next summer.

For now, Chelsea have their new manager and Farioli has Porto flying again. The Blues considered him without making their move, and taking that next step would have come with a sizeable price tag.

Now if Alonso fails, it can be near certain that Chelsea will revive their interest.