With less than a week remaining until the draw, Chelsea FC is poised for their highly anticipated return to the UEFA Champions League after a two-year absence. The Blues last competed in Europe's elite club competition during the 2022/23 campaign, exiting at the quarter-final stage against Real Madrid. Manager Enzo Maresca, fresh off Conference League and Club World Cup successes, now targets deeper Champions League progression under the tournament's restructured format.
This season introduces a significant overhaul: a single 36-team league phase replaces traditional group stages. Each club will contest eight matches—four home and four away—with standings determining knockout qualification. As Pot 1 seeds, Chelsea will draw two opponents from each of the remaining four pots, avoiding fellow English clubs Manchester City and Liverpool due to country protection rules.
The decisive draw ceremony will occur on Thursday, August 28 in Nyon, Switzerland. Six potential Pot 1 rivals are confirmed:
- Real Madrid
- Manchester City
- Bayern Munich
- Liverpool
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Inter Milan
Seven final spots remain contested through play-off rounds commencing Tuesday:
| Path | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Champions Path | Ferencváros vs Qarabağ, Red Star Belgrade vs Pafos, Bodø/Glimt vs Sturm Graz, Celtic vs Kairat, Basel vs Copenhagen |
| League Path | Fenerbahçe vs Benfica, Rangers vs Club Brugge |
Current pot allocations show Chelsea joined in Pot 1 by Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona. Pot 2 features Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, and Atlético Madrid, while Tottenham and PSV straddle Pots 2/3. Pot 3 includes Ajax and Napoli, with Newcastle United residing in Pot 4 alongside AS Monaco and Galatasaray.
Tournament scheduling follows this critical timeline:
- League Phase: September 16–December 10 (Matchdays 1-6), January 20–28 (Matchdays 7-8)
- Knockout Play-offs: February 17–25
- Round of 16: March 10–18
- Quarter-finals: April 7–15
- Semi-finals: April 28–May 6
- Final: May 30, 2026 at Budapest's Puskás Arena
Chelsea's first league phase fixture kicks off September 16-18, marking their long-awaited reentry into European football's premier competition amid heightened expectations for a deep run under the competition's innovative structure.
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