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

When Chelsea arrive in Malaysia for the final leg of their pre-season tour, new manager Xabi Alonso will be reunited with former Liverpool team-mate Luis Garcia.

Garcia is now the chief executive of Johor Darul Ta'zim, who welcome Chelsea to their 40,000-capacity Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Sunday.

The two Spaniards go way back to 2004, when they both signed for Rafael Benitez's Liverpool on the same day.

Despite facing each other multiple times in the Spanish football ecosystem, that day at Anfield was the first time they met properly.

"He told me he didn't speak English too well before our unveiling press conference," Garcia told BBC Sport.

"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?!'"

Both started in Liverpool 's dramatic Champions League final win over AC Milan at the end of that season and they went on to play together for Spain.

Garcia says they remain "really good friends" and have stayed in touch, but insists Alonso is facing a difficult final overseas friendly.