Following the announcement from Chelsea that Xabi Alonso will begin work as manager at Stamford Bridge this summer, the Premier League club also confirmed further details of their preseason tour ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Could a team that has not lost a league game in five years just prove to be the former Real Madrid coach’s first big test as boss of the Blues?
Chelsea are scheduled to play A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers and London rivals Tottenham Hotspur (both in Sydney), plus Serie A giants Juventus (Hong Kong) and AC Milan (Jakarta). But they will also return to Malaysia for the first time since 2013 for a friendly meeting with Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim.
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Of course, storied European clubs like Spurs, Juve and Milan will offer Chelsea a level of challenge they are familiar with — but none can boast a record like JDT, who they will meet at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri on Aug. 11.
Domestic dominance
The Southern Tigers are one of the most domestically dominant teams in world football, having claimed the past 12 Malaysia Super League titles. For good measure, they have also added five Malaysia Cups and FA Cups each.
It is a remarkable rise for a team that had enjoyed much success historically, but everything changed when Tunku Ismail Idris — the Crown Prince of Johor — took over what was previously known as Johor FC, with their new JDT identity officially introduced in 2013. They won their first top-flight league title the following year and have not looked back since.
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Tunku Ismail has not spared any expense in his quest to make JDT not just domestic powerhouses, but one of Asian football’s leading lights. Famous names from LaLiga such as Pablo Aimar and Dani Güiza, and more recently Jesé and Samu Castillejo, have all donned the blue and red of JDT.
After finally making their debut in the AFC Champions League Elite — Asia’s premier club competition — for the first time in 2019, the Southern Tigers have now gone on to reach the knockout phase on three occasions, including a first-ever quarterfinal appearance this season.
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Record breakers?
Nonetheless, JDT’s ascent has truly reached another level in recent years. They have completed the domestic treble in the past three seasons, with a fourth on the cards should they defeat Kuching City in the Malaysia Cup final on Saturday.
But now JDT’s Malaysia Super League dominance — they have not lost a match in the competition since April 2021 — has put them on the precipice of a landmark, global achievement.
Earlier this month they equalled Ivorian outfit ASEC Mimosas’ world record of 108 league games without defeat — which was set between 1989 to 1994 — with a staggering 14-1 victory over Kelantan TRW. With their league campaign now concluded, JDT will have to wait till the first game of next season for their shot at breaking the record.
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Before then, there will be the small matter of hosting a glamour tie against Chelsea. While a friendly in nature, JDT will be looking to show what they can do against a mighty European club. Their previous opportunity in November 2022 resulted in a 4-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund, even with the Bundesliga side missing several key players who preparing for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
By the time his new Chelsea team takes on JDT, Alonso might already have faced some high-profile opponents on their preseason tour. None, however, can lay claim to going five years without tasting defeat in the league, or being on the verge of a new world record.
