Garcia hopes long-term friend Alonso's Chelsea finish second to Liverpool

What the report says

BBC Sport Football reports that Luis Garcia, now chief executive of Johor Darul Ta'zim, is due to meet former Liverpool teammate Xabi Alonso when Chelsea visit Malaysia on the final leg of their pre-season tour. Garcia and Alonso were both signed by Liverpool in 2004 and played together for three seasons, later also sharing international duty with Spain. Garcia said he remains close friends with Alonso, but hopes Chelsea finish behind Liverpool in the Premier League.

The article says the match will be held at JDT’s 40,000-capacity Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor, where the Malaysian club will face what Garcia called their biggest test of the season. Chelsea have already played elite opponents on tour in Australia and Asia, while JDT have used a training camp in Alicante to prepare against European sides such as Rangers, Elche and Cartagena.

BBC Sport says JDT are on a 108-match unbeaten run in domestic competition, a figure that equals a world record and could be extended when Malaysia’s season resumes in August. Garcia said the club aims to keep raising the standard of Malaysian football, using Spanish coaches and academy methods, and to help the country move toward World Cup qualification in the future.

More broadly, the piece frames the fixture as a notable moment for Malaysian football, with a packed stadium expected and Chelsea providing a high-profile benchmark for JDT’s progress.