Chelsea’s Conference League Opponents Unveiled As New European Journey Begins
- Chelsea will face one of SC Braga or Servette in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off
- The Blues qualified for the competition after finishing seventh in the Premier League last season
- Former head coach Mauricio Pochettino was dismissed after missing out on Champions League spot
Chelsea have been drawn against the losers of the Europa League play-off tie between Servette and SC Braga in their UEFA Europa Conference League play-off.
The Londoners qualified for the competition despite finishing sixth in the Premier League after Manchester United won the FA Cup and knocked them off the UEFA Europa League automatic spot.
Source: Getty Images
Mauricio Pochettino paid for the season with his job after failing to meet the minimum requirement of the UEFA Champions League spot, which the Todd Boehly-led owners demanded.
Chelsea learn UECL opponent
As one of the seeded teams, the Blues will play the loser between Servette and SC Braga.
Per UEFA.com, the first leg is scheduled for Thursday, August 22. The return leg is a week later, on Thursday, August 29. If the Blues win as a seeded team, they will go straight to the group. The time will be confirmed on August 9.
As noted by Chelseafc, the competition, like other UEFA competitions, Champions League and Europa League, will be a single group of 36 teams, with each club playing six games, three at home and three away.
The top eight teams will qualify for the Round of 16, while the ninth to 24th will have a play-off, where the winners will head to join the first eight, and then it'll be a straight knockout.
The Blues could become the first team to win all three UEFA competitions if they win, having won the Champions League and Europa League twice each.
Jose Mourinho's AS Roma won the inaugural competition in 2022. English club West Ham won in 2023, while Greek club Olympiacos won last season.
Maresca explains Chelsea's loss
Briefly News reported that Enzo Maresca explained Chelsea's loss to Manchester City in their first real pre-season test against his former boss, Pep Guardiola.
The Blues were dismantled 4-2, including a 4-0 first-half loss during their United States pre-season tour against the current Premier League champions.
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Source: Legit.ng
