Chelsea FC: The Blues Are Back

Two champions leagues, one FIFA Club World Cup, and six Premier League titles are just a fraction of Chelsea Football Club’s accomplishments throughout their long history as a dominant club in European soccer. Based in West London and founded in 1905, Chelsea has always been regarded as one of the powerhouses of English soccer, cementing themselves as an established member of the traditional “big six.” Chelsea’s ability to build a well-rounded team and thrive under pressure has sparked their prominence in both the Premier League and European competitions. However, in recent years, Chelsea’s lackluster performances have served as a sharp contrast to the club’s rich history of prestige and glory.

Chelsea went through a major transition in 2022 when longstanding owner Roman Abramovich sold the club to an American businessman, Todd Boehly, due to geopolitical pressures involving the Russia-Ukraine war. This change marked the end of an era for Chelsea’s stability and consistency on the field. The new leadership initially brought enthusiasm and vast financial promise, but the transition of power also led to great instability within the club. Early decisions, including an overhaul of the squad, set Chelsea on the wrong path from the beginning. Key players and veterans, namely Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen, left when their contracts expired due to uncertainty regarding their futures with the organization, leaving the club with a noticeable void in both defense and leadership.

Additionally, Todd Boehly’s transfer tactics lacked a clear strategy, a result of his inexperience and lack of fundamental knowledge of the sport. Signings often failed to meet expectations due to a combination of players being inexperienced with Premier League soccer and not having adequate opportunities to play and develop. For example, Mykhailo Mudryk, who was signed to the club for a hefty price of $87 million, delivered inconsistent performances in his early appearances for the club, scoring no goals in the 15 matches he played in his first season. Prior to his suspension, he was only featured in the Premier League for a combined 146 minutes, meaning he lacked opportunities to showcase his talent. Signings such as this contributed to Chelsea’s standing dropping drastically, with the club finishing the 22/23 season in 12th place, a stark contrast to the season prior which ended with a third place finish and champions league victory.  

This downfall was heightened by the new management’s lack of purpose and direction. It also sharply contrasted the previous regime under Abramovich, which maintained a well-defined strategy of hiring experienced managers and making targeted signings to consistently compete for trophies. Changes in the long-standing staff, such as the departure of Petr Čech also left a void in management and future planning. Financial blunders, specifically overspending on transfers or underperforming players, also added to the club’s pains. Over 30 players signed for Chelsea in the first few transfer windows after the takeover, which led to a severely bloated roster of 40 players. Needless to say, the size of the squad sparked issues with the team’s cohesion. Many players would be left with little to no playing time, or be taken out of the matchday squad altogether. Incredibly long contracts were also handed out in order to spread Chelsea’s huge spending over several years, with players such as Nicolas Jackson, Mudryk, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández, Moises Caicedo, and Pedro Neto all having contracts that run until 2031. The combination of these unstabilizing factors contributed to some of the hardest periods in the club’s history.

The seasons following Boehly’s takeover can best be described as experimental. Chelsea cycled through various managers, including Graham Potter, Frank Lampard (an interim manager), and Thomas Tuchel, none of whom had much success in the club due to a lack of clear tactics amid a large and rotating squad. Furthermore, the managers had to deal with internal conflicts and disagreements within the organization. The club also spent heavily on multiple high-profile players like Mudryk and Fernández, all to no avail; their squad often looked disjointed and their strategies lackluster. Managers faced a difficult time implementing new signings into the team, and strategies like high pressing and possession play often failed due to a lack of cohesion and defensive stability.

Chelsea fans’ reactions were nowhere near supportive. There was immense anger and frustration among fans as they witnessed their club lose again and again. They were disappointed with Chelsea’s downward spiral and their lack of a clear vision, along with the multiple managerial changes in such a short period of time. Additionally, pundits such as Jamie Carragher called out the club’s reckless spending and questioned their decisions to provide extensively long contracts to young, unproven players. It was obvious to fans and experts that something had to change in order for the club to return to its glory days.

Chelsea’s rebuild phase began with Mauricio Pochettino during the 2023/24 season. He was a skilled manager who previously led several top clubs, including Spurs and Paris-Saint Germain. Pochettino was able to foster connections between players in the team and develop the talent that Chelsea had in their club by introducing a high-pressing system that made them work and talk on the pitch. He also introduced young, talented players such as Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke into key match situations to give them experience and confidence to grow into key roles. Despite this, he wasn’t able to bring the results worthy of a major club like Chelsea, which many attribute to the mess created by former managers; the team was trying to recover from switching managers multiple times, and he had to navigate through rebuilding the huge squad so he could produce consistent results. After mutual agreement, he was replaced with current manager Enzo Maresca.

Maresca has brought about a quick and notable shift in the club, focusing on player development and long-term success by prioritizing young players and homegrown talent. Under his leadership, Chelsea has quickly become a more structured team, with a clear approach to their tactics and player development. Maresca has implemented a high-pressing system with a clear possession-based play style in order to assert dominance over other teams. Unlike previous managers, he has focused on building chemistry between players and creating a more fluid squad. 

Stars like Palmer have become fan favorites, while others such as Fernández in midfield have brought back a spark the team has long been missing. The team has seen lots of consistent success in the UEFA Conference League, where they sit first in the table. Meanwhile, in the Premier League, Chelsea has beaten major rivals, including Newcastle and Tottenham, and currently sits fourth with a respectable record of 10 wins and four losses. Under Maresca’s leadership, the team’s performance on the big stage has improved immensely. With players like Palmer and Fernández leading the advance, this season has marked Chelsea’s comeback into its former glory. 

Looking ahead, Chelsea’s future holds plenty of promise. The club has several established young players, like Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto, and the overwhelming talent coming through Chelsea’s academy suggests a bright future. Maresca’s ability to balance the development of Chelsea’s players and their performances on the big stages will be crucial in sustaining the current success of the team who, for the first time in nearly three seasons, is truly in the midst of a title race. The days of 12th place finishes and losses to relegation contenders are finally over: the start of a new golden era for Chelsea is truly at hand.