Any Chelsea fan will tell you that life is never dull at Stamford Bridge. Unpredictability has been a common theme for the Blues over the years, but there is one thing that the fans have been able to count on almost every season for quite a while now – and that is European football.
Sections of the club’s support might not necessarily like the way it is run, but success of some sort or another has been a constant since the late 1990s, and that has produced many memorable European moments for Chelsea fans. That is why all the best sports betting sites regularly have the Blues as one of the favourites to lift a trophy each season.
This season has felt very familiar for Chelsea fans, however. Only Liverpool spent more money, but, with just a few games to go, the club is still battling to secure a Champions League place. There is still no guarantee of any European football at all next season, however. As we anxiously wait to discover our fate, here’s how Chelsea’s continental campaigns have gotten on in recent years.
2018-19
We begin our trip down memory lane with the triumphant 2018-19 Europa League campaign. Since winning the same competition six years earlier, Chelsea had struggled to get past the round of 16 in the Champions League. But a drop down a level saw the Blues firing on all cylinders, culminating in a very satisfactory final against a very familiar foe.
The group stage posed no problem at all, with just two points dropped before some equally impressive knockout performances against Malmö, Dynamo Kyiv, and Slavia Prague saw Maurizio Sarri’s side score 18 goals in six games. Penalties were needed to get past Frankfurt in the semifinal, before an incredible second-half performance crushed Arsenal in the final. The 4-1 scoreline just about made the long trip to Baku worthwhile.
2019-20
After losing the Super Cup to Liverpool at the beginning of the season, it was back to the Champions League for Chelsea – but the round of 16 hoodoo reared its ugly head again. A group including Valencia, Lille, and Ajax proved difficult for new boss Frank Lampard, but progress was secured with a second-place finish.
Not finishing top of the group became all-important, however, when Chelsea was paired with Bayern Munich in the round of 16. A 3-0 defeat at the Bridge all but sealed the team’s fate, before a 4-1 reverse in Germany. The scoreline was a little flattering to the Bundesliga side, but European dreams were over for another year.
2020-21
A fourth-place finish in the Premier League brought more Champions League football the following season, and it turned out to be a very memorable campaign for everyone connected to Chelsea Football Club. Easily finishing top of the group brought a potential tricky tie against Atletico, but it was a test that Chelsea passed with flying colors.
Beating Porto 2-0 in Portugal in the first leg of the quarterfinal was a big boost for Chelsea, now under the stewardship of Thomas Tuchel, and even a late goal conceded in the second leg could not stop Chelsea advancing. A hugely impressive 3-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid in the semi lined up another all-English final – this time against Manchester City. Once again, the Blues prevailed to add a second Champions League triumph to the honours list.
2021-22
This time, Chelsea won the Super Cup, thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Villarreal, and hopes were high for the battle to retain the Champions League title. But in a packed season, where Chelsea lost both domestic finals to Liverpool, the number of games told, with a second-place finish in the group rewarded with a tie against Lille in the round of 16.
That particular curse seemed to have well and truly been lifted by now, as Chelsea comfortably overcame the Ligue 1 side. Real Madrid waited in the last eight, and a first-leg loss at home stopped the Blues in their tracks. A fiery occasion in Madrid saw the home side go through after extra time, even though Chelsea ended up winning the game.
2022-23
Chelsea came into the season as FIFA Club World Cup champions, but the worst season in recent memory saw the club bow out of the domestic cups at an early stage and finish as low as 12th in the league. A total of four head coaches could only take Chelsea as far as the quarterfinal stage in the Champions League.
The group stage went well enough, with a first-place finish bringing a round of 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund. After narrowly losing the away leg, Stamford Bridge came alive for the home game, only for Chelsea to be drawn against Real Madrid, once again, in the last eight. Two 2-0 losses ended European dreams again.
2024-25
After a rare season away from European football, Chelsea returned in 2024 in the unfamiliar surroundings of the Europa Conference League. The fans and players enjoyed some big wins against new opponents, as Chelsea finished top of the league phase and were a big favorite to go all the way.
Enzo Maresca navigated this new journey well, and as Chelsea ultimately secured Champions League football for the current season, it also easily saw off Copenhagen, Legia Warsaw, and Djurgardens in the knockout rounds. A second-half masterclass saw off Real Betis 4-1 in the final, and Chelsea had a new trophy to add to the collection.
2025-26
The Conference League triumph would have assured Europa League football this season, but a vast improvement in the Premier League meant Chelsea would play in Europe’s most prestigious competition in the 2025-26 season. There wasn’t a lot of belief outside of Stamford Bridge, but some good performances – including a 3-0 win against Barcelona – secured a place in the knockout rounds.
It was, therefore, very unfortunate that Chelsea then came up against the current cup holders, PSG. As with some of the other English sides, Chelsea couldn’t compete, and another round of 16 exit was almost inevitable. Now every Chelsea fan will be hoping that a good EPL run-in will bring another Champions League campaign next season.