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Xabi Alonso will begin his tenure at Stamford Bridge without European football after Chelsea fell short of qualification on the final day of the Premier League season.

Interim manager Calum McFarlane issued an apology to supporters following the Blues’ 2-1 loss to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Wesley Fofana’s red card compounded Chelsea’s misery, as victory would have been enough to secure a Europa League berth. Instead, they return to London empty-handed, finishing a disappointing tenth in the Premier League table.

The west London side managed to collect only four points from their final nine league games, ending a turbulent campaign that saw them crash out of contention for European competition. As a result, Alonso’s first season in charge will be without continental football.

McFarlane, who is expected to join Alonso’s backroom staff next season, expressed regret to the travelling supporters immediately after the match, acknowledging the team’s shortcomings on Wearside.

“It’s a disappointing way to end the season,” McFarlane admitted, offering a frank assessment of Chelsea’s failure to deliver when it mattered most.

“With the quality we have, we should be playing in the Champions League. But we’ve been far too inconsistent, and that’s ultimately cost us.”

It has been a season of upheaval at Chelsea, who parted ways with two permanent managers — Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior — during the campaign. The managerial instability prompted several senior players to voice their frustrations with the club’s leadership.

Rosenior’s exit in late April left the team scrambling to secure a European place, but a poor run of results, including defeat in the FA Cup final, meant their fate was left hanging until the final day.

Reflecting on the team’s performance at Sunderland, McFarlane said, “We wanted to end on a high, make the most of a difficult situation, and book our place in the Europa League. Unfortunately, we couldn’t produce the performance we needed.”

He added, “To the fans — we’re just as disappointed as they are. We’re gutted we couldn’t get it done for them. Their support has been incredible all season, and it hurts that we’ve let them down. We couldn’t deliver the display they deserved.”