Chelsea could be offered a unique option if they qualify for the Champions League and this month also beat real betis in the final of the UEFA Conference League
Chelsea fights for a place in the Champions League of next season – but they don't have to take their place, even if they end in the top five because of a UEFA rule that would become relevant if they won the Europa Conference League.
The side of Enzo Maresca saw their hope take a blow on Sunday after they fell to beat Newcastle United. They are still in the top five, but only for Aston Villa are on target difference with Nottingham Forest, also only one point worse off in the seventh.
The blues will hope that they can keep their place in the table with matches against Manchester United and Forest. But even if they do that, they could be a certain degree of flexibility.
Chelsea could still earn a place in the Europa League via the Conference League. The side of West -London wins that right with a victory over real betis in the final later this month.
If the men of Maresca earn a place in the Champions League and earn their silverware, they will afford the option to choose between entering the Champions League or the competition phase of the Europa League.
There is little reason to suspect that Chelsea will not choose a place in the biggest competition in Europe, but there is a good reason for the option to exist. Some domestic qualifying places mean that teams must navigate through a qualifying round.
Failure there does not guarantee a place in the Europa League, so that some parties prefer the automatic place that is offered. This is done par excellence to protect Minnows that are better served by guaranteeing their place.
It has also not been the only complicating factor for the ambitions of Chelsea. After they have not played in the European competition since 2022/23, the blues can qualify together with Strasbourg, who are also owned by Blueco.
The Ligue 1 side can still earn a place in Champions League qualification, but teams with the same ownership should not play in the same competition. To do this, Strasbourg would be obliged to go to a 'blind' confidence to remove any conflicts or Blueco could reduce their interest in one of the clubs to satisfy UEFA.
The ambitions of Chelsea certainly seem to earn a place in the Champions League. But the Italian boss Maresca would not see the season as a failure, if not. “Compared to the past two years, it is not a failure,” he said recently. “How often has Chelsea been to the UCL in the last two years? How much? Zero.
'How often this season? Almost the entire season. Is it an improvement or not? It is already an improvement because we have spent the entire season there. Now we are going to do our best to end there, undoubtedly. We undoubtedly want to end there. We are happy to end there? Yes.
“Is it enough? No, because we want to compete for titles. But compared to the past two years, I think it is pretty clear that there is an improvement.
“If you want to see it, you see it. If you don't want to see it, you don't see it. It depends in what way … I see that.”