Xabi Alonso's first pre-season tour as Chelsea manager will bring him face to face with an old friend when the Premier League club travel to Malaysia for the final fixture of their overseas trip. Waiting for them will be Luis Garcia, now chief executive of Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), who will host Chelsea at the 40,000-seat Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Sunday.
The bond between the two Spaniards dates back to 2004, when they signed for Liverpool under Rafael Benitez on the same day. Although they had crossed paths as opponents in Spanish football before that, it was at Anfield where they truly got to know one another. Garcia recalled the humor of their first meeting, telling BBC Sport that Alonso had downplayed his English ahead of their joint unveiling, only to surprise him by answering journalists fluently while Garcia relied on a translator. "I answered the first question in Spanish, as we had a translator present, and he answered in perfect English and I thought: 'Why you little?!'" Garcia said.
The pair went on to start together in one of the most iconic nights in football history, Liverpool's Champions League final comeback victory over AC Milan in Istanbul later that season, and also represented Spain together. Garcia says the friendship formed in those years has endured, describing Alonso as a close friend with whom he has remained in regular contact.
Despite the personal warmth, Garcia was clear that JDT will not be treating Sunday's game as a ceremonial fixture. He described facing Chelsea as the most significant test the Malaysian champions will face this season, pointing to the scale of the occasion for both the club and Malaysian football more broadly. The match caps off a tour that has already seen Chelsea face Tottenham, Juventus and AC Milan across Australia and Asia. "We can't wait to challenge ourselves against a top club, top players and it is great to face Alonso. I can assure you on Sunday we will compete," Garcia said, adding a lighthearted dig at his friend's new employers: "I wish him all the best [at Chelsea], but even though I love him, hopefully he ends up second to Liverpool next season."
JDT arrive at the fixture in imposing form. The club have not lost a domestic match since 2021 and currently hold a world record-equalling unbeaten run of 108 games, a streak they hope to extend when the Malaysian league resumes in August. Ahead of the Chelsea clash, JDT tested themselves against European sides during a training camp in Alicante, drawing with Rangers and Spanish second-tier club Elche before beating Cartagena.
Beyond domestic dominance, JDT have been building a reputation continentally, having reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League last season. Garcia credited the club's owner, Crown Prince Tunku Ismail, for driving an ambitious project that includes state-of-the-art training facilities modeled on Real Madrid's Valdebebas complex, along with a network of Spanish coaches embedded throughout the first team and academy setup.
Garcia, who holds a UEFA Pro Licence and works across sporting and commercial operations at the club while leaving first-team coaching to fellow Spaniard Xisco Munoz, said the long-term vision is to elevate Malaysian football on the continental stage and eventually contribute to a World Cup qualification. He acknowledged the financial gulf between JDT and Asia's top-spending clubs, some of which operate with budgets exceeding $150 million compared to JDT's roughly $15 million, but insisted the club's ambitions remain undimmed as they prepare to welcome Alonso and Chelsea to Johor.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.