Chelsea
Full nameChelsea Football Club
Nickname(s)The Blues, The Pensioners[1]
Short nameCFC, CHE
Founded10 March 1905; 119 years ago (1905-03-10)[2]
GroundStamford Bridge
Capacity57,631
Coordinates51°28′54″N 0°11′28″W / 51.48167°N 0.19111°W / 51.48167; -0.19111
OwnerRoman Abramovich
ChairmanBruce Buck
ManagerAlex McCann
LeaguePremier League
2024–25Premier League, 1st of 20
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Chelsea Football Club are an English professional football club based in Fulham, London. Founded in 1905, they compete in the Premier League, the top division of English football. Chelsea are among England's most successful clubs; they have been league champions six times and won over thirty competitive honours, including six European trophies. Their home ground is Stamford Bridge.[3]

Chelsea won their first major honour, the League Championship, in 1955. They won the FA Cup for the first time in 1970 and their first European honour, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, in 1971. After a period of decline in the late 1970s and 1980s, the club enjoyed a revival in the 1990s and had more success in cup competitions. The past two decades have been the most successful in Chelsea's history: they won five of their six league titles and the UEFA Champions League during this period.[4] Chelsea are one of five clubs to have won all three of UEFA's main club competitions, and the only London club to have won the Champions League.

Chelsea's home kit colours are royal blue shirts and shorts with white socks. The club's crest features a ceremonial lion rampant regardant holding a staff.[5] The club have rivalries with neighbouring teams Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, and a historic rivalry with Leeds United. Based on attendance figures, the club have the sixth-largest fanbase in England.[6] In terms of club value, Chelsea are the sixth most valuable football club in the world, worth £2.13 billion ($2.576 billion), and are the eighth highest-earning football club in the world, with earnings of over €428 million in the 2017–18 season.[7][8] Since 2003, Chelsea have been owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.[9]

History edit

 
The first Chelsea team in September 1905

In 1904, Gus Mears acquired the Stamford Bridge athletics stadium with the aim of turning it into a football ground. An offer to lease it to nearby Fulham was turned down, so Mears opted to found his own club to use the stadium. As there was already a team named Fulham in the borough, the name of the adjacent borough of Chelsea was chosen for the new club; names like Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and London FC were also considered.[10] Chelsea were founded on 10 March 1905 at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook),[2][11] opposite the present-day main entrance to the ground on Fulham Road, and were elected to the Football League shortly afterwards.

Chelsea won promotion to the First Division in their second season, and yo-yoed between the First and Second Divisions in their early years. They reached the 1915 FA Cup Final, where they lost to Sheffield United at Old Trafford, and finished third in the First Division in 1920, the club's best league campaign to that point.[12] Chelsea had a reputation for signing star players[13] and attracted large crowds; they had the highest average attendances in English football in ten separate seasons[14] including 1907–08,[15] 1909–10,[16] 1911–12,[17] 1912–13,[18] 1913–14[19] and 1919–20.[20] [21] They were FA Cup semi-finalists in 1920 and 1932 and remained in the First Division throughout the 1930s, but success eluded the club in the inter-war years.

Former Arsenal and England centre-forward Ted Drake was appointed manager in 1952 and proceeded to modernise the club. He removed the club's Chelsea pensioner crest, improved the youth set-up and training regime, rebuilt the side with shrewd signings from the lower divisions and amateur leagues, and led Chelsea to their first major trophy success – the League championship – in 1954–55. The following season saw UEFA create the European Champions' Cup, but after objections from The Football League and the FA, Chelsea were persuaded to withdraw from the competition before it started.[22] Chelsea failed to build on this success, and spent the remainder of the 1950s in mid-table. Drake was dismissed in 1961 and replaced by player-coach Tommy Docherty.

 
Chart showing the progress of Chelsea's league finishes from 1906 to the present

Docherty built a new team around the group of talented young players emerging from the club's youth set-up and Chelsea challenged for honours throughout the 1960s, enduring several near-misses. They were on course for a treble of League, FA Cup and League Cup going into the final stages of the 1964–65 season, winning the League Cup but faltering late on in the other two.[23] In three seasons the side were beaten in three major semi-finals and were FA Cup runners-up. Under Docherty's successor, Dave Sexton, Chelsea won the FA Cup in 1970, beating Leeds United 2–1 in a final replay. The following year, Chelsea took their first European honour, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup triumph, with another replayed win, this time over Real Madrid in Athens.

The late 1970s through to the '80s was a turbulent period for Chelsea. An ambitious redevelopment of Stamford Bridge threatened the financial stability of the club,[24] star players were sold and the team were relegated. Further problems were caused by a notorious hooligan element among the support, which was to plague the club throughout the decade.[25] In 1982, Chelsea were, at the nadir of their fortunes, acquired by Ken Bates for the nominal sum of £1, although by now the Stamford Bridge freehold had been sold to property developers, meaning the club faced losing their home.[26] On the pitch, the team had fared little better, coming close to relegation to the Third Division for the first time, but in 1983 manager John Neal put together an impressive new team for minimal outlay. Chelsea won the Second Division title in 1983–84 and established themselves in the top division with two top-six finishes, before being relegated again in 1988. The club bounced back immediately by winning the Second Division championship in 1988–89.

 
Chelsea players celebrate their first UEFA Champions League title against Bayern Munich (2012).

After a long-running legal battle, Bates reunited the stadium freehold with the club in 1992 by doing a deal with the banks of the property developers, who had been bankrupted by a market crash.[27] Chelsea's form in the new Premier League was unconvincing, although they did reach the 1994 FA Cup Final. The appointment of Ruud Gullit as player-manager in 1996 began an upturn in the team's fortunes. He added several top international players to the side and led the club to their first major honour since 1971, the FA Cup. Gullit was replaced by Gianluca Vialli, whose reign saw Chelsea win the League Cup, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 1998, and the FA Cup in 2000. They also mounted a strong title challenge in 1998–99, finishing four points behind champions Manchester United, and made their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League. Vialli was sacked in favour of Claudio Ranieri, who guided Chelsea to the 2002 FA Cup Final and Champions League qualification in 2002–03.

In July 2003, Bates sold Chelsea to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for £140 million.[9] Over £100 million was spent on new players, but Ranieri was unable to deliver any trophies,[28] and was replaced by José Mourinho.[29] Under Mourinho, Chelsea became the fifth English team to win back-to-back league championships since the Second World War (2004–05 and 2005–06),[30] in addition to winning an FA Cup (2007) and two League Cups (2005 and 2007). After a poor start to the 2007–2008 season, Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant,[31] who led the club to their first UEFA Champions League final, which they lost on penalties to Manchester United.

In 2009, under caretaker manager Guus Hiddink, Chelsea won another FA Cup.[32] In 2009–10, his successor Carlo Ancelotti led them to their first Premier League and FA Cup Double, also becoming the first English top-flight club to score 100 league goals in a season since 1963.[33] In 2012, Roberto Di Matteo led Chelsea to their seventh FA Cup,[34] and their first UEFA Champions League title, beating Bayern Munich 4–3 on penalties, the first London club to win the trophy.[35] The following year the club won the UEFA Europa League,[36] making them the first club to hold two major European titles simultaneously and one of five clubs to have won the three main UEFA trophies.[37] Mourinho returned as manager in 2013 and led Chelsea to League Cup success in March 2015,[38] and the Premier League title two months later.[39] Mourinho was sacked after four months of the following season after a poor start.[40] In 2017, under new coach Antonio Conte, Chelsea won their sixth English title and the following season won their eighth FA Cup.[41] In 2018 Conte was sacked after a 5th-place finish and replaced with Maurizio Sarri,[42][43] under whom Chelsea reached the League Cup final, which they lost on penalties to Manchester City[44] and won the Europa League for a second time, beating Arsenal 4–1 in the final. Sarri then left the club to become manager of Juventus.

Sarri's replacement was 32-year-old Alex McCann. McCann had no prior managerial experience before Chelsea, but he spent four years as a coach for the Irish national team. He was considered a relative unknown, having only played at the regional level in his native Ireland before a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury ended his career at 26. Under McCann, Chelsea quickly began to enjoy the greatest period in team history. In his first season in charge, the Blues cruised to the 2019–20 Premier League title, scoring 97 goals and finishing 13 points clear of runners-up Liverpool. The following season saw Chelsea finish a disappointing third, but the team celebrated its second-ever Champions League victory.

Stadium edit

 
Stamford Bridge, West Stand

Chelsea have only had one home ground, Stamford Bridge, where they have played since the team's foundation. It was officially opened on 28 April 1877 and for the first 28 years of its existence, it was used almost exclusively by the London Athletic Club as an arena for athletics meetings and not at all for football. In 1904 the ground was acquired by businessman Gus Mears and his brother Joseph, who had also purchased nearby land (formerly a large market garden) with the aim of staging football matches on the now 12.5 acre (51,000 m²) site.[45] Stamford Bridge was designed for the Mears family by the noted football architect Archibald Leitch, who had also designed Ibrox, Craven Cottage and Hampden Park.[46] Most football clubs were founded first, and then sought grounds in which to play, but Chelsea were founded for Stamford Bridge.

Starting with an open bowl-like design and one grandstand with seating, Stamford Bridge had an original capacity of around 100,000, making it the second biggest stadium in England after Crystal Palace.[45] The early 1930s saw the construction of a terrace on the southern part of the ground with a roof that covered around one fifth of the stand. As the roof resembled that of a corrugated iron shed, the stand eventually became known as the "Shed End", although it is unknown who first coined this name. Starting in the 1960s, it became known as the home of Chelsea's most loyal and vocal supporters.[45] In 1939, another small seated stand was added, the North Stand, which remained until its demolition in 1975.[45]

In the early 1970s, the club's owners announced a modernisation of Stamford Bridge with plans for a state-of-the-art 50,000 all-seater stadium.[45] Work began in 1972 but the project was beset with problems and ultimately only the East Stand was completed; the cost brought the club close to bankruptcy, culminating in the freehold being sold to property developers. Following a long legal battle, it was not until the mid-1990s that Chelsea's future at the stadium was secured and renovation work resumed.[45] The north, west and southern parts of the ground were converted into all-seater stands and moved closer to the pitch, a process completed by 2001. The East Stand was retained from the 1970s development. In 1996, the north stand was renamed the Matthew Harding stand, after the club director and benefactor who was killed in a helicopter crash earlier that year.[47]

 
Chelsea vs. West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge on 23 September 1905; Chelsea won 1–0.

When Stamford Bridge was redeveloped in the Bates era many additional features were added to the complex including two Millennium & Copthorne hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants, the Chelsea Megastore, and an interactive visitor attraction called Chelsea World of Sport. The intention was that these facilities would provide extra revenue to support the football side of the business, but they were less successful than hoped and before the Abramovich takeover in 2003 the debt taken on to finance them was a major burden on the club. Soon after the takeover a decision was taken to drop the "Chelsea Village" brand and refocus on Chelsea as a football club. However, the stadium is sometimes still referred to as part of "Chelsea Village" or "The Village".

The Stamford Bridge freehold, the pitch, the turnstiles and Chelsea's naming rights are now owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners, a non-profit organisation in which fans are the shareholders. The CPO was created to ensure the stadium could never again be sold to developers. As a condition for using the Chelsea FC name, the club has to play its first team matches at Stamford Bridge, which means that if the club moves to a new stadium, they may have to change their name.[48] Chelsea's training ground is located in Cobham, Surrey. Chelsea moved to Cobham in 2004. Their previous training ground in Harlington was taken over by QPR in 2005.[49] The new training facilities in Cobham were completed in 2007.[50]

 
Aerial view of present-day Stamford Bridge

Stamford Bridge hosted the FA Cup Final from 1920 to 1922,[51] has held ten FA Cup Semi-finals (most recently in 1978), ten FA Charity Shield matches (the last in 1970), and three England international matches, the last in 1932; it was also the venue for an unofficial Victory International in 1946.[52] The 2013 UEFA Women's Champions League Final was played at Stamford Bridge as well.[53] The stadium has also been used for a variety of other sports. In October 1905 it hosted a rugby union match between the All Blacks and Middlesex,[54] and in 1914 hosted a baseball match between the touring New York Giants and the Chicago White Sox.[55] It was the venue for a boxing match between world flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde and Joe Conn in 1918.[56] The running track was used for dirt track racing between 1928 and 1932,[57] greyhound racing from 1933 to 1968, and Midget car racing in 1948.[58] In 1980, Stamford Bridge hosted the first international floodlit cricket match in the UK, between Essex and the West Indies.[59] It was also the home stadium of the London Monarchs American Football team for the 1997 season.[60]

The current club ownership have stated that a larger stadium is necessary in order for Chelsea to stay competitive with rival clubs who have significantly larger stadia, such as Arsenal and Manchester United.[61] Owing to its location next to a main road and two railway lines, fans can only enter Stamford Bridge via the Fulham Road exits, which places constraints on expansion due to health and safety regulations.[62] The club have consistently affirmed their desire to keep Chelsea at their current home,[63][64] but have nonetheless been linked with a move to various nearby sites, including the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Battersea Power Station and the Chelsea Barracks.[65] In October 2011, a proposal from the club to buy back the freehold to the land on which Stamford Bridge sits was voted down by Chelsea Pitch Owners shareholders.[66] In May 2012, the club made a formal bid to purchase Battersea Power Station, with a view to developing the site into a new stadium,[67] but lost out to a Malaysian consortium.[68] The club subsequently announced plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge into a 60,000-seater stadium,[69] and in January 2017 these plans were approved by Hammersmith and Fulham council.[70] However, on 31 May 2018, the club released a statement saying that the new stadium project had been put on hold indefinitely, citing "the current unfavourable investment climate."[71] In 2021, the club announced that stadium work would begin that fall. The expansion to 57,631 seats was finished in December of that year.

Crest and colours edit

Crest edit

Chelsea have had four main crests, which all underwent minor variations. The first, adopted when the club was founded, was the image of a Chelsea pensioner, the army veterans who reside at the nearby Royal Hospital Chelsea. This contributed to the club's original "pensioner" nickname, and remained for the next half-century, though it never appeared on the shirts. When Ted Drake became Chelsea manager in 1952, he began to modernise the club. Believing the Chelsea pensioner crest to be old-fashioned, he insisted that it be replaced.[72] A stop-gap badge which comprised the initials C.F.C. was adopted for a year. In 1953, the club crest was changed to an upright blue lion looking backwards and holding a staff. It was based on elements in the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea[73] with the "lion rampant regardant" taken from the arms of then club president Viscount Chelsea and the staff from the Abbots of Westminster, former Lords of the Manor of Chelsea. It also featured three red roses, to represent England, and two footballs.[72] This was the first Chelsea crest to appear on the shirts, in the early 1960s.

In 1986, with Ken Bates now owner of the club, Chelsea's crest was changed again as part of another attempt to modernise and because the old rampant lion badge could not be trademarked.[74] The new badge featured a more naturalistic non-heraldic lion, in white and not blue, standing over the C.F.C. initials. This lasted for the next 19 years, with some modifications such as the use of different colours, including red from 1987 to 1995, and yellow from 1995 until 1999, before the white returned.[75] With the new ownership of Roman Abramovich, and the club's centenary approaching, combined with demands from fans for the popular 1950s badge to be restored, it was decided that the crest should be changed again in 2005. The new crest was officially adopted for the start of the 2005–06 season and marked a return to the older design, used from 1953 to 1986, featuring a blue heraldic lion holding a staff. For the centenary season this was accompanied by the words '100 YEARS' and 'CENTENARY 2005–2006' on the top and bottom of the crest respectively.[5]

Colours edit

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chelsea's first home colours (1905 – c. 1912)

Chelsea have always worn blue shirts, although they originally used the paler eton blue, which was taken from the racing colours of then club president, Earl Cadogan, and was worn with white shorts and dark blue or black socks.[76] The light blue shirts were replaced by a royal blue version in around 1912.[77] In the 1960s Chelsea manager Tommy Docherty changed the kit again, switching to blue shorts (which have remained ever since) and white socks, believing it made the club's colours more modern and distinctive, since no other major side used that combination; this kit was first worn during the 1964–65 season.[78] Since then Chelsea have always worn white socks with their home kit apart from a short spell from 1985 to 1992, when blue socks were reintroduced.

Chelsea's away colours are usually all yellow or all white with blue trim. More recently, the club have had a number of black or dark blue away kits which alternate every year.[79] As with most teams, they have also had some more unusual ones. At Docherty's behest, in the 1966 FA Cup semi-final they wore blue and black stripes, based on Inter Milan's kit.[80] In the mid-1970s, the away strip was a red, white and green kit inspired by the Hungarian national side of the 1950s.[81] Other memorable away kits include an all jade strip worn from 1986–89, red and white diamonds from 1990–92, graphite and tangerine from 1994–96, and luminous yellow from 2007–08.[79] The graphite and tangerine strip has appeared in lists of the worst football kits ever.[82]

Rivalries edit

Chelsea have long-standing rivalries with North London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.[83][84] A strong rivalry with Leeds United dates back to several heated and controversial matches in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the 1970 FA Cup Final.[85] More recently a rivalry with Liverpool has grown following repeated clashes in cup competitions and in races for Premier League titles.[86][87] Chelsea's fellow West London sides Brentford, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers are generally not considered major rivals, as matches have only taken place intermittently due to the clubs often being in separate divisions.[88]

A 2004 survey by Planetfootball.com found that Chelsea fans consider their main rivalries to be with (in descending order): Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. In the same survey, fans of Arsenal, Fulham, Leeds United, QPR, Tottenham, and West Ham United named Chelsea as one of their three main rivals.[89] In a 2008 poll conducted by the Football Fans Census, Chelsea fans named Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United as their most disliked clubs. In the same survey, "Chelsea" was the top answer to the question "Which other English club do you dislike the most?"[90] A 2012 survey, conducted among 1200 supporters of the top four league divisions across the country, found that many clubs' main rivals had changed since 2003 and reported that Chelsea fans consider Tottenham to be their main rivals, above Arsenal and Manchester United. Additionally, fans of Arsenal, Brentford, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester United, QPR, Tottenham and West Ham identified Chelsea as one of their top three rivals.[91]

Records edit

 
Frank Lampard is Chelsea's all-time highest goalscorer.

Chelsea's highest appearance-maker is ex-captain Ron Harris, who played in 795 competitive games for the club between 1961 and 1980.[92] Four other players made more than 500 appearances for the club: Peter Bonetti (729; 1959–79), John Terry (717; 1998–2017), Frank Lampard (648; 2001–2014) and John Hollins (592; 1963–1975 and 1983–1984). With 103 caps (101 while at the club) for England, Lampard is Chelsea's most capped international player. Every starting player in Chelsea's 57 games of the 2013–14 season was a full international – a new club record.[93]

Lampard is Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer, having scored 211 goals in 648 games (2001–2014);[92] he passed Bobby Tambling's longstanding record of 202 in May 2013.[94] Eight other players have also scored over 100 goals for Chelsea: George Hilsdon (1906–1912), George Mills (1929–1939), Roy Bentley (1948–1956), Jimmy Greaves (1957–1961), Peter Osgood (1964–1974 and 1978–1979), Kerry Dixon (1983–1992), Didier Drogba (2004–2012 and 2014–2015), and Eden Hazard (2012–2019). Greaves holds the club record for the most goals scored in one season (43 in 1960–61).[95] While a Chelsea player, Greaves also became the youngest ever player to score 100 goals in the English top-flight, at 20 years and 290 days.[96]

Chelsea's biggest winning scoreline in a competitive match is 13–0, achieved against Jeunesse Hautcharage in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1971.[97] The club's biggest top-flight win was an 8–0 victory against Wigan Athletic in 2010, which was matched in 2012 against Aston Villa.[98] Chelsea's biggest loss was an 8–1 reverse against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1953.[99][100] The club's 21–0 aggregate victory over Jeunesse Hautcharage in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971 is also a record in European competition.[101] Officially, Chelsea's highest home attendance is 82,905 for a First Division match against Arsenal on 12 October 1935. However, an estimated crowd of over 100,000 attended a friendly match against Soviet team Dynamo Moscow on 13 November 1945.[102][103]

 
In January 2011 Chelsea broke the British transfer record to sign Fernando Torres for £50 million; the record stood until 2014

From 20 March 2004 to 26 October 2008, Chelsea went a record 86 consecutive league matches at home without defeat, beating the previous record of 63 matches unbeaten set by Liverpool between 1978 and 1980.[104][105] Chelsea hold the English record for the fewest goals conceded during a league season (15), the highest number of clean sheets overall in a Premier League season (25) (both set during the 2004–05 season),[106] and the most consecutive clean sheets from the start of a league season (6, set during the 2005–06 season).[107] Chelsea's streak of eleven consecutive away league wins, set between 5 April 2008 and 6 December 2008, is a record for the English top flight.[108] Chelsea are the only Premier League side to win their opening nine league games of the season, doing so in 2005–06.[109][110] From 2009 to 2013, Chelsea were unbeaten in a record 29 consecutive FA Cup matches (excluding penalty shoot-outs).[111]

On 25 August 1928, Chelsea, along with Arsenal, became the first club to play with shirt numbers, in their match against Swansea Town.[112] They were the first English side to travel by aeroplane to a domestic away match, when they visited Newcastle United on 19 April 1957,[113] and the first First Division side to play a match on a Sunday, when they faced Stoke City on 27 January 1974. On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first British side to field an entirely foreign starting line-up (no British or Irish players) in a Premier League match against Southampton.[114] In May 2007, Chelsea were the first team to win the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium, having also been the last to win it at the old Wembley.[115] They were the first English club to be ranked No. 1 under UEFA's five-year coefficient system in the 21st century.[116] They were the first Premier League team, and the first team in the English top flight since 1962–63, to score at least 100 goals in a single season, reaching the milestone during the 2009–10 season.[33] Chelsea are the only London club to win the UEFA Champions League.[117][118] Upon winning the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, Chelsea became the first English club to win all four UEFA club trophies and the only club to hold the Champions League and the Europa League at the same time.[119]

Chelsea have twice broken the record for the highest transfer fee paid by a British club. Their £30.8 million purchase of Andriy Shevchenko from AC Milan in June 2006 was a British record until surpassed by the £32.5 million paid by Manchester City for Robinho in September 2008.[120][121] The club's £50 million purchase of Fernando Torres from Liverpool in January 2011[122] held the record until Ángel Di María signed for Manchester United in August 2014 for £59.7 million.[123] The club's £71 million purchase of Kepa Arrizabalaga in August 2018 remains a world record fee paid for a goalkeeper.[124]

Sponsorship edit

Chelsea's kit has been manufactured by Nike since July 2017. Previously, the kit was manufactured by Adidas, which was originally contracted to supply the club's kit from 2006 to 2018. The partnership was extended in October 2010 in a deal worth £160 million over eight years.[125] This deal was again extended in June 2013 in a deal worth £300 million over another ten years.[126] In May 2016, Adidas announced that by mutual agreement, the kit sponsorship would end six years early on 30 June 2017.[127] Chelsea had to pay £40m in compensation to Adidas. In October 2016, Nike was announced as the new kit sponsor, in a deal worth £900m over 15 years, until 2032.[128] Previously, the kit was manufactured by Umbro (1975–81), Le Coq Sportif (1981–86), The Chelsea Collection (1986–87), Umbro (1987–2006), and Adidas (2006–2017).

Chelsea's first shirt sponsor was Gulf Air, agreed during the 1983–84 season. The club were then sponsored by Grange Farms, Bai Lin Tea and Simod before a long-term deal was signed with Commodore International in 1989; Amiga, an offshoot of Commodore, also appeared on the shirts. Chelsea were subsequently sponsored by Coors beer (1994–97), Autoglass (1997–2001), Emirates (2001–05), Samsung Mobile (2005–08) and Samsung (2008–15).[129][130] Chelsea's current shirt sponsor is Yokohama Tyres. Worth £40 million per year, the deal is second in English football to Chevrolet's £50 million-per-year sponsorship of Manchester United.[129]

Following the introduction of sleeve sponsors in the Premier League, Chelsea had Alliance Tyres as their first sleeve sponsor in the 2017–18 season.[131] For the 2018–19 season, they have Hyundai Motor Company as the new sleeve sponsor.[132] The club also has a variety of other sponsors and official partners, which include Carabao, Delta Air Lines, Beats by Dre, Singha, EA Sports, Rexona, Hublot, Ericsson, William Hill, Levy Restaurants, Wipro, Grand Royal Whisky, Bangkok Bank, Guangzhou R&F, Mobinil, IndusInd Bank, and Ole777.[133]

Since the 2020–21 season, Chelsea have been sponsored by telecommunications brand Three.

Players edit

Current squad edit

As of 2 July 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   POR Peter Akinfenwa
3 DF   NED Ian Maatsen
4 DF   BRA Mizael
5 MF   GER Marco Salz
6 DF   GER Patrick Griffiths
7 MF   ITA Luca Ghilarducci
9 FW   ENG Simon Barnes
10 MF   CRO Mateo Kovačić (third captain)
11 MF   ENG Jadon Sancho
12 MF   COL Rubén Dario Morales
15 MF   POR Bernardo Silva
16 MF   NOR Sander Berge (vice captain)
17 FW   NOR Erling Haaland (fourth captain)
18 FW   SRB Djordje Markovic
19 MF   ENG Mason Mount (captain)
20 MF   ENG Callum Hudson-Odoi
21 MF   ENG Conor Gallagher
22 MF   ENG Jude Bellingham
23 DF   BRA Rodholfo
24 DF   ENG Reece James
26 DF   WAL Ethan Ampadu
No. Pos. Nation Player
27 FW   RUS Fedor Chalov
29 DF   ENG Fikayo Tomori
31 GK   SWE Lucas Bergström
32 MF   FRA Bruno Leroy
34 DF   CRO Marin Pongračić
37 DF   BRA Adriano
41 MF   ITA Gaetano Vannelli
44 MF   SWE Dejan Kulusevski
45 DF   ENG Louis Weatherstone
47 MF   FRA Jacques Levy
51 MF   ENG David Booth
59 FW   ENG Alexander Philp
63 DF   NED Ian Maatsen
64 MF   POR Duarte Valente
72 DF   ENG Valentino Livramento
88 MF   TUR Aykut Akkaya
MF   POR Samuel Amaro
DF   ITA Joseph Guardincerri
MF   NED Dyon Korf
MF   FRA Antonio Liberati
MF   POR Igor Pinho
DF   ITA Serkan Talum

Out on loan edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF   TUR Mücahit Arslan (to Marseille until 30 June 2028)
No. Pos. Nation Player

Under-23s and Academy edit

Player of the Year edit

Year Winner
1967   Peter Bonetti
1968   Charlie Cooke
1969   David Webb
1970   John Hollins
1971   John Hollins
1972   David Webb
1973   Peter Osgood
1974   Gary Locke
1975   Charlie Cooke
1976   Ray Wilkins
1977   Ray Wilkins
1978   Micky Droy
1979   Tommy Langley
1980   Clive Walker
1981   Petar Borota
 
Year Winner
1982   Mike Fillery
1983   Joey Jones
1984   Pat Nevin
1985   David Speedie
1986   Eddie Niedzwiecki
1987   Pat Nevin
1988   Tony Dorigo
1989   Graham Roberts
1990   Ken Monkou
1991   Andy Townsend
1992   Paul Elliott
1993   Frank Sinclair
1994   Steve Clarke
1995   Erland Johnsen
1996   Ruud Gullit
 
Year Winner
1997   Mark Hughes
1998   Dennis Wise
1999   Gianfranco Zola
2000   Dennis Wise
2001   John Terry
2002   Carlo Cudicini
2003   Gianfranco Zola
2004   Frank Lampard
2005   Frank Lampard
2006   John Terry
2007   Michael Essien
2008   Joe Cole
2009   Frank Lampard
2010   Didier Drogba
2011   Petr Čech
 
Year Winner
2012   Juan Mata
2013   Juan Mata
2014   Eden Hazard
2015   Eden Hazard
2016   Willian
2017   Eden Hazard
2018   N'Golo Kanté
2019   Eden Hazard
2020   Jorginho
2021   Erling Haaland
2022   Erling Haaland
2023   Erling Haaland
2024   Mason Mount
2025   Sander Berge

Source: Chelsea F.C.

Notable managers edit

The following managers won at least one trophy when in charge of Chelsea:

Name Period Trophies
  Ted Drake 1952–1961 First Division Championship, Charity Shield
  Tommy Docherty 1962–1967 League Cup
  Dave Sexton 1967–1974 FA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  John Neal 1981–1985 Second Division Championship
  John Hollins 1985–1988 Full Members Cup
  Bobby Campbell 1988–1991 Second Division Championship, Full Members Cup
  Ruud Gullit 1996–1998 FA Cup
  Gianluca Vialli 1998–2000 FA Cup, League Cup, Charity Shield, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup
  José Mourinho 2004–2007
2013–2015
3 Premier Leagues, 3 League Cups, FA Cup, Community Shield
  Guus Hiddink 2009
2015–2016[nb 1]
FA Cup
  Carlo Ancelotti 2009–2011 Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield
  Roberto Di Matteo 2012[nb 2] FA Cup, UEFA Champions League
  Rafael Benítez 2012–2013[nb 3] UEFA Europa League
  Antonio Conte 2016–2018 Premier League, FA Cup
  Maurizio Sarri 2018–2019 UEFA Europa League
  Alex McCann 2019–present 4 Premier Leagues, FA Cup, 4 UEFA Champions Leagues, FIFA Club World Cup, 4 UEFA Super Cups, Community Shield

Management team edit

Position Staff
Manager   Alex McCann
Assistant manager   James Simmonds
Coaches   Ashley Cole
  Joe Edwards
  Paulo Ferreira
  Chris Jones
  Jody Morris
  Andy Myers
  Eddie Newton
  Steve Round
Goalkeeping coaches   Henrique Hilário
  Christophe Lollichon
  James Russell
Fitness coaches   Carlos Lalín
  Javier Miñano
  Massimo Neri
Director of football   Javier Ribalta
Technical director   Petr Čech
Loan manager   Max Howcroft
Chief scout   Scott McLachlan
Chief data analyst   James Melbourne
Chief doctors   Dimitrios Kalogiannidis
  Darren Rowland
Head physio   Jon Fearn
Head of sports science   Tim Harkness
Head of youth development   Bruno Conti
Development squad manager   Frank Lampard
Under-18s manager   Ed Brand

Honours edit

Upon winning the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, Chelsea became the fourth club in history to have won the "European Treble" of European Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, and European Cup Winners' Cup/UEFA Cup Winners' Cup after Juventus, Ajax and Bayern Munich. Chelsea are the first English club to have won all three major UEFA trophies.[134]

Domestic edit

League edit

Winners (10): 1954–55, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
Winners (2): 1983–84, 1988–89

Cups edit

 
Diego Costa and John Terry holding the League Cup after Chelsea's victory in 2015
Winners (9): 1969–70, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2017–18, 2022–23
Winners (5): 1964–65, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2014–15
Winners (4): 1955, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2024
Winners (2): 1985–86, 1989–90

European edit

 
Didier Drogba holding the Champions League trophy after Chelsea's victory in 2012
Winners (5): 2011–12, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
Winners (2): 2012–13, 2018–19
Winners (2): 1970–71, 1997–98
Winners (5): 1998, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24

Worldwide edit

Winners: 2021

Doubles and trebles edit

  • Doubles
    • 1997–98: League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup
    • 2004–05: League and League Cup
    • 2006–07: FA Cup and League Cup
    • 2009–10: League and FA Cup
    • 2011–12: FA Cup and UEFA Champions League
    • 2014–15: League and League Cup
    • 2023–24: League and UEFA Champions League
    • 2024–25: League and UEFA Champions League
  • Trebles
    • 2022–23: League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League

Especially short competitions, such as the FA Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup, are not generally considered to contribute towards a Double or Treble.

UEFA club coefficient ranking edit

As of 2 July 2025
Rank Team Points
1   Chelsea 165.000
2   Liverpool 132.000
3   PSG 132.000
4   Arsenal 129.000
5   Manchester United 118.000
6   Barcelona 116.000
7   Juventus 113.000
8   Real Madrid 111.000
9   Atlético Madrid 108.000
10   Inter 105.000
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