Chelsea aiming to be the first team to complete haul of major European trophies

Chelsea are chanced to become the first team in Europe to claim all major European trophies if they succeed in this season’s UEFA Conference League. The Blues qualified for the New League Phase of the UEFA Conference League after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season.

The third season-long UEFA men’s football club competition, the UEFA Europa Conference League, was introduced in 2021/22. It aims to make continental football more inclusive, with more clubs in the associations involved. Ahead of this season, it was renamed from the UEFA Europa Conference League to the UEFA Conference League.

More than 170 teams are involved in UEFA competitions across the season, including at least one from each UEFA association and with clubs transferring from either the Champions League or Europa League at the end of the League phase. The previous winners are Roma (2022), West Ham United (2023) and Olympiacos (2024). Chelsea was victorious after both rounds of the play-off stage with Servette which consists of one club entering from each of the top five football associations, 30 winners of Conference League third-round qualifying ties, and 13 losers from Europa League third-round qualifiers. The 24 sides that progressed plus 12 teams that lost in the Europa League play-offs, reached the league phase of the competition.

Chelsea is the most popular team in the competition and has the advantage of making history by winning the competition. Jose Mourinho became the first sportsperson (as a manager) to claim this award after winning Roma in the inaugural season in 2022. The Portuguese coach has previously enjoyed success in the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan and Real Madrid and at the UEFA Europa League with Manchester United. With previous triumphs in the UEFA Champions League (2011-12, 2020-21), UEFA Europa League (2012-13, 2018-19), and UEFA Super Cup (1998, 2021), adding the Europa Conference League would complete Chelsea’s sweep of European silverware. The West London side will be proud to be the first team to enjoy such success and treasure such moment in the club’s showroom, a similar scenery to the tattoo of the three major European titles Jose Mourinho bears.

Chelsea has always found victory in major European competitions following the change of the incumbent manager who led them to the competition. In 2012, Roberto Di Matteo led the Blues to their very first victory in the Champions League as an interim manager following the dismissal of Andre Villas-Boas. Rafael Benitez took over from Roberto Di Matteo months later and helped the Blues win their first Europa Cup. The same scenario played out in 2019 with Maurizio Sarri (from Antonio Conte), and in 2021 with Thomas Tuchel (from Frank Lampard). With Enzo Maresca’s new appointment and high performance at the European stage since taking over from Mauricio Pochettino who led the team to the competition, Chelsea fans are dreaming big for a repeat of history favoring the West London club at the tournament.

Following predictions from the Grosvenor Sport supercomputer, the Blues were tipped to come out victorious in the tournament. However, the scare against Servette reminds us that no European competition comes easy, and Chelsea will need to maintain focus and determination if they are to go all the way in this year’s competition.

The games run on Thursday nights alongside the UEFA Europa League. So far two fixtures have been concluded with the Blues on top of the standings, following impressive victories to Gent and Panathinaikos with four goals each in both games. The Blues are tied in points with Fiorentina, Legia Warszawa, Lugano, Victoria de Guimaraes, Hearts, Jagiellonia Bialystok, Rapid Wien, and FC Heidenheim. Each side in the 36-team League will face three different teams (home and away) to qualify for the knockout stages. The top eight clubs at the end of the league stage advance directly to the round of 16, while sides finishing from ninth to 24th will contest the knockout round play-offs to earn their spot among the final 16. Each knockout round will be played in two legs (home and away) with just a final game at the 40,000 capacity Wrocław Stadium to crown the champions.

CHELSEA SIT IN FOURTH PLACE AFTER A NAIL-BITTING ENCOUNTER WITH MANCHESTER UNITED 

Game-week 10 of the 2024/25 Premier League season Manchester United and Chelsea throw it all out in a jam-packed Old Trafford.  Moses Caicedo’s equalizer was enough to deny Ruud Van Nistelrooy a win in his first game as Manchester United’s interim boss while incoming manager Ruben Amorim watched from the stands.

Both teams faced off on Sunday evening following Wednesday’s intense games in the Carabao Cup which saw the Blues first exit in a competition this season, while the Red Devils enjoyed their first game after Erik Ten Hag’s era. No other game in the Premier League has finished in a tie more than those between Chelsea and Man U, and Sunday’s clash created a new milestone to the record. 

Jordan Sancho was the only Chelsea player missing in the starting lineup due to a fitness issue. Man U on the other hand, were without a number of players including Mason Mount, Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, Christian Eriksen, Anthony, Luke Shaw, and new signings Leny Yoro and Tyrell Malacia. 

In the first 45 minutes, Marcus Rashford and Noni Maduaeke hit the woodwork at both ends of the pitch. Both teams didn’t make the most of their chances until the 70th minute when Chelsea goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez gave away a penalty from a clumsy challenge on Rasmus Hojlund. Bruno Fernandez stepped up to give Man U the lead with a classy penalty that sent the goalkeeper the wrong way. The joy and chants from the home fans only lasted a few minutes as Caicedo volleyed home from Casemiro’s clearance at a corner to bring the Blues back into the game. Manchester United had the better of chances towards the end of the game but couldn’t make the most of them. Their Argentine defender – Lesandro Martinez escaped a possible red card offense towards the end of the game from an intense foul on Cole Palmar.

Chelsea moved up to fourth place after the draw at Old Trafford and remained leveled in points with 5th place Arsenal and Aston Villa in 6th place, both clubs losing over the weekend. Manchester remain at the bottom table (13th) with only 12 points from 10 Premier League games. Ruud Van Nistelrooy remains in charge of the weekday game before Ruben Amorim takes charge on November 11. 

UPCOMING CHELSEA FIXTURES

Chelsea vs Arsenal, Premier League, Sunday 10th November, 16:30 (Stamford Bridge)

Leicester City vs Chelsea, Premier League, Saturday 23rd November, 12:30 (King Power Stadium) 

FC Heidenheim 1846 vs Chelsea, UEFA Conference League, Thursday 28th November, 17:45 (Voith-Arena)  

Chelsea vs Aston Villa, Premier League, Sunday 1st December, 13:30 (Stamford Bridge)

Southampton vs Chelsea, Premier League, Wednesday 4th December, 19:30 (St. Mary’s Stadium)  

Tottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea, Premier League, Sunday 8th December, 16:30 (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) 

Astana vs Chelsea, UEFA Conference League, Thursday 12th December, 15:30 (Astana Arena)  

Chelsea vs Brentford, Premier League, Sunday 15th December, 19:00 (Stamford Bridge) 

Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers, UEFA Conference League, Thursday 19th December, 20:00 (Stamford Bridge)

GET TICKETS TO CHELSEA GAMES!

Get fast-selling Chelsea tickets while they are still available. Explore secondary ticket marketplaces to compare seat maps and compare prices to find your ideal spot for a beautiful experience in the games. Official sites may be screaming “Sold-Out” and not have the best options for an unforgettable experience. Be live at the games and cheer on the Blues as they navigate another tough season under Enzo Maresca’s management.