After two long years on the outside looking in, Chelsea are back where they belong. The 2025/26 season will see the famous blue flag flying high once again in the UEFA Champions League, a return secured by a gritty fourth-place finish in the Premier League last term, 15 points behind champions Liverpool. But as we all know, that wasn’t the only achievement for Enzo Maresca’s Blues last season.
Chelsea managed to navigate a field of potential banana skins to claim the UEFA Conference League at the first time of asking, becoming the first team in history to win all three of the continent’s major club competitions. If that wasn’t enough, the Blues would then enjoy their crowning moment, winning the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer after a shock 3-0 drubbing of European Champions Paris Saint-Germain in the MetLife Stadium showpiece in July.
Chelsea’s Champions League Return
Now, Maresca’s men will embark upon making the most of their invite to the most elite dinner party in European football. But it isn’t just the Stamford Bridge faithful that are excited about the upcoming Champions League return. In fact, even some surprising outlets have also looked to get in on the act, specifically online casinos.
Websites such as the popular Joe Fortune have rolled out the red carpet for the UCL’s return, crafting a slew of online slot games in a bid to bring supporters closer to the beautiful game than ever before. Titles such as Zombie FC and Hat Trick Hero have garnered rave reviews with footie fans and slot lovers alike.
Both cite the games’ accessibility – with enthusiasts being able to play online 24/7, providing they have a smart device and a stable internet connection – as a major positive, and Blues supporters can enjoy both now as they wait for their foray back onto Europe’s major stage. There’s no question, Joe Fortune has identified a need and catered to it!
Manager Maresca won’t be distracting himself with slot games just now, however. The Italian boss is currently in the midst of plotting his side’s path to a third Champions League crown. First and foremost, he has navigated their return to Europe’s elite tournament, just like in these four previous campaigns.
1999/2000: A Brilliant Debut and a Brutal Lesson
Player-manager Gianluca Vialli managed to lead his side to a third-place finish in the Premier League in 1998/99, securing a Champions League debut the following year. The Blues stormed through the first group stage, topping Group H and making an immediate statement with a 5-0 victory away against Galatasaray and draws home and away against AC Milan, setting the tone. Chelsea would then finish as runners-up to Lazio in the second group stage, setting up a mouth-watering clash with Barcelona in the quarterfinals.
The first leg at Stamford Bridge was arguably the greatest night that West London had ever seen. A three-goal blitz inside eight first-half minutes through Gianfranco Zola and a brace from Tore André Flo gave Chelsea a gobsmacking 3-0 halftime lead. However, the Blaugrana, as ever, would roar back to life.
Luis Figo ensured his side headed back to the Nou Camp with a crucial away goal, and his side would return the favor with a 3-1 victory of their own in the second leg in Catalonia. That sent the clash to extra time, and there, Barcelona would offer too much to handle. The sheer class of Rivaldo and Patrick Kluivert – both netting in the additional period – ultimately proved too much to overturn, and their two late goals sealed a 6-4 aggregate win for the Catalans, ending Chelsea’s dream run in heartbreaking fashion.
2003/04: The Dawn of a New Era
Four years later, a completely different Chelsea returned to the fold. Bankrolled by the immense wealth of new owner Roman Abramovich and shrewdly managed by Claudio Ranieri, this was a team built for success. They navigated their group with ease before grinding out a victory against Stuttgart in the Round of 16.
This set the stage for an epic all-English quarterfinal against Arsenal’s legendary ‘Invincibles.’ Following a cagey 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea traveled to Highbury as the underdogs. But on a night of high drama, they produced a performance for the ages. Frank Lampard’s equalizer canceled out Arsenal’s opener before left-back Wayne Bridge galloped forward in the 87th minute to fire home a winner that sent shockwaves across Europe. The Invincibles had been beaten.
The semifinal against AS Monaco felt like a date with destiny. Yet, despite holding an away goals lead on the brink of half-time in the second leg at the Bridge, their charge for a first-ever final was derailed. Goals from Hugo Ibarra and Fernando Morientes sent Monaco through, leaving Chelsea to ponder what might have been.
2017/18: A Fleeting Return Cut Short by a Legend
After winning the Premier League title under Antonio Conte, Chelsea’s 2017/18 return after a year away was expected to be a triumphant one. Unfortunately, things wouldn’t work out that way.
The Blues once again met Barcelona, and the Catalonians would come out on top. A 1-1 draw in London was a decent effort, but the Blaugrana proved their class in the return fixture, winning 3-0 in the Nou Camp thanks to a Lionel Messi brace, and sending Chelsea packing after a disappointing campaign.
2019/20: Trial by Fire for Lampard’s Young Lions
Chelsea’s most recent return to the competition came on the back of a Europa League triumph. With club icon Frank Lampard installed as manager and a transfer ban forcing a reliance on academy graduates, this was a new-look, youthful squad led by the likes of Reece James, Mason Mount, and Tammy Abraham.
The Blues fought their way to the semifinals, but there Bayern Munich was too hot to handle. The merciless Germans won 7-1 on aggregate before going on to claim the trophy months later with a 1-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain in Lisbon. While the result was a painful one, the brutal defeat was an invaluable lesson as Lampard’s young core would go on to lift the trophy just one year later, with Kai Havertz’s winner downing Manchester City in Porto.
