Chelsea F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Chelsea Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Blues | ||
| Founded | 10 March 1905 | ||
| Ground | Stamford Bridge | ||
| Capacity | 40,173 | ||
| Coordinates | 51°28′54″N 0°11′27″W / 51.48167°N 0.19083°W | ||
| Owner | BlueCo | ||
| Chairman | Todd Boehly | ||
| Head coach | Enzo Maresca | ||
| League | Premier League | ||
| 2018–19 | Premier League, 3rd of 20 | ||
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Chelsea Football Club is a professional football team from Fulham, West London, England. The club started in 1905 and was named after the nearby area of Chelsea. They play in the Premier League, which is the top football league in England. Their home games are played at Stamford Bridge. Since 2022, the club has been owned by BlueCo.
Chelsea won their first big national trophy, the First Division championship, in 1955. They won their first Premier League title in the 2004–05 season with José Mourinho as manager. Overall, Chelsea has won six top-tier league titles. They have also won eight FA Cups, five League Cups, and four FA Community Shields. This makes them the fifth-most successful club in English football.
On the international stage, Chelsea won their first European trophy in 1971. They lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup, and won it again in 1998. They then won their first UEFA Champions League title in 2012 and won it again in 2021. Chelsea has won the UEFA Europa League twice, in 2013 and 2019. After winning the UEFA Conference League in 2025, Chelsea became the first club to win all four main UEFA competitions. They also won the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021 and 2025. The 2025 win was the first time this competition had 32 teams.
Chelsea has rivalries with other London teams like Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Fulham. They also have a rivalry with Leeds United.
Contents
History of Chelsea Football Club
How Chelsea Started (1905–1952)
In 1904, Gus Mears bought the Stamford Bridge athletics stadium. He wanted to turn it into a football ground. He offered to rent it to Fulham F.C., but they said no. So, Mears decided to start his own club to use the stadium. Since there was already a team called Fulham in the area, he chose the name of the nearby area, Chelsea. Other names like Kensington FC and London FC were also thought about. Chelsea F.C. was officially founded on March 10, 1905. This happened at The Rising Sun pub, which is now called The Butcher's Hook. The club was soon accepted into the Football League.
Chelsea moved up to the First Division in their second season. In their early years, they often moved between the First and Second Divisions. The team reached the 1915 FA Cup final in 1915 but lost to Sheffield United. In 1920, they finished third in the First Division, which was their best league result at that time. Chelsea was known for signing famous players and attracted many fans. The club had the highest average attendance in English football in ten different seasons. They reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1920 and 1932. Chelsea stayed in the First Division throughout the 1930s, but they did not win any major trophies during those years.
New Beginnings and First League Title (1952–1983)
In 1952, Ted Drake, a former player for Arsenal and England, became the manager. He made many changes to modernize the club. He removed the old "Chelsea pensioner" badge. He also improved the youth training and brought in smart new players. Drake led Chelsea to their first major trophy, the League championship, in the 1954–55 season. The next season, UEFA created the European Champions' Cup. However, Chelsea was asked to withdraw from the competition before it began. Chelsea did not continue their success and spent the rest of the 1950s in the middle of the league table. Drake was replaced by player-coach Tommy Docherty in 1961.
Docherty built a new team with talented young players from the club's youth system. Chelsea competed for trophies throughout the 1960s but often just missed out. In the 1964–65 season, they were close to winning three trophies: the League, FA Cup, and League Cup. They won the League Cup but lost out on the other two. Under Docherty's successor, Dave Sexton, Chelsea won the FA Cup in 1970. They beat Leeds United 2–1 in a replay match. The next year, Chelsea won their first European trophy, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They beat Real Madrid in Athens after another replay.
Stadium Changes and Financial Challenges (1983–2003)
The late 1970s and 1980s were a difficult time for Chelsea. A big plan to rebuild Stamford Bridge caused financial problems for the club. Star players were sold, and the team was relegated to a lower league. There were also issues with some fan behavior, which caused problems for the club during this time. In 1982, when things were at their worst, Ken Bates bought Chelsea for a very small amount of money (£1). Bates took control of the club. However, the land where Stamford Bridge stood had been sold to property developers. This meant the club was at risk of losing its home stadium. On the field, the team also struggled. They almost dropped to the Third Division for the first time. But in 1983, manager John Neal put together a strong new team without spending much money. Chelsea won the Second Division title in 1983–84. They then played well in the top division, finishing in the top six twice. However, they were relegated again in 1988. The club quickly bounced back, winning the Second Division championship in 1988–89.
After a long legal fight, Bates managed to get the stadium land back for the club in 1992. He made a deal with the banks of the property developers, who had gone bankrupt. In the mid-1990s, Chelsea fan and businessman Matthew Harding became a director. He loaned the club £26 million to build a new stand and buy new players. Chelsea's performance in the new Premier League was not very strong, but they did reach the 1994 FA Cup final. When Ruud Gullit became player-manager in 1996, the team's luck changed. He brought in several top international players. He led the club to their first major trophy since 1971, the FA Cup. Gullit was replaced by Gianluca Vialli. Under Vialli, Chelsea won the League Cup, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup in 1998. They also won the FA Cup in 2000. They had a strong chance to win the league title in 1998–99, finishing just four points behind Manchester United. They also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. Vialli was replaced by Claudio Ranieri. Ranieri guided Chelsea to the 2002 FA Cup final and helped them qualify for the Champions League in 2002–03.
The Abramovich Era (2003–2022)
In June 2003, with the club facing financial challenges, Ken Bates unexpectedly sold Chelsea F.C. for £60 million. The new owner was businessman Roman Abramovich. He took on the club's £80 million debt and quickly paid some of it. Bates mentioned that Abramovich had considered buying other clubs before choosing Chelsea.
Over £100 million was spent on new players. However, Ranieri could not win any trophies and was replaced by José Mourinho. Under Mourinho, Chelsea became the fifth English team to win back-to-back league championships. They won in 2004–05 and 2005–06. They also won an FA Cup in 2007 and two League Cups in 2005 and 2007. After a difficult start to the 2007–08 season, Mourinho was replaced by Avram Grant. Grant led the club to their first UEFA Champions League final, which they lost on penalties to Manchester United.
In 2009, with Guus Hiddink as temporary manager, Chelsea won another FA Cup. In 2009–10, his successor Carlo Ancelotti led them to their first Premier League and FA Cup Double. They were the first English top-flight club to score 100 league goals in a season since 1963. In 2012, Roberto Di Matteo led Chelsea to their seventh FA Cup. They also won their first UEFA Champions League title, beating Bayern Munich on penalties. This made them the first London club to win that trophy. The next year, the club won the UEFA Europa League. This made them the first club to hold two major European titles at the same time. They also became one of five clubs to have won the three main UEFA trophies. Mourinho returned as manager in 2013. He led Chelsea to League Cup success in March 2015 and the Premier League title two months later. Mourinho was dismissed after a poor start to the next season.
In 2017, under new coach Antonio Conte, Chelsea won their sixth English title. The following season, they won their eighth FA Cup. In 2018, Conte was replaced by Maurizio Sarri. Under Sarri, Chelsea reached the League Cup final, losing to Manchester City. They then won the Europa League for a second time, beating Arsenal 4–1 in the final. Sarri then left, and former Chelsea player Frank Lampard became manager.
In Lampard's first season, he guided Chelsea to fourth place in the Premier League. They also reached the FA Cup final, losing 2–1 to Arsenal. Lampard was replaced by Thomas Tuchel in January 2021.
Under Tuchel, Chelsea reached the FA Cup final, losing to Leicester City. They then won their second UEFA Champions League title with a 1–0 win over Manchester City. The club later won the 2021 UEFA Super Cup for the second time. They beat Villarreal in a penalty shootout. They also won the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, beating Palmeiras 2–1. This was the club's first Club World Cup title.
In April 2021, Chelsea announced they would join a new European Super League. This was a competition for the biggest European clubs. However, after many fans protested, the club announced its withdrawal days later. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the club chose not to furlough its non-matchday staff. This decision reportedly came from Abramovich himself. Chelsea was one of the first clubs to help the National Health Service. They lent their Millennium Hotel for NHS staff to use.
"[Chelsea] has been a success machine for the last 10–20 years. That doesn't just come with money. We've seen at Manchester United and Arsenal where they've put billions into the team and not had the success that Chelsea have had. Chelsea can feel comfortable that they'll have rich owners, but will they have football-smart owners? Because that's what Abramovich has been.
Due to changes in global circumstances, Abramovich announced in February 2022 that he would hand over the club's management to the Chelsea Foundation trustees. A week later, Abramovich cleared the £1.5 billion the club owed him. He then put the club up for sale. He promised to donate the money from the sale to help those affected by difficult global events.
On March 10, 2022, the British government announced some restrictions related to Abramovich. However, Chelsea was allowed to continue operating under a special license. In the following weeks, reports suggested Abramovich was involved in efforts to help with peace talks. An American government official said that the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had asked that restrictions not be placed on Abramovich because of his help with relief efforts.
New Ownership: BlueCo (2022–Present)
On May 7, 2022, Chelsea confirmed that a new ownership group had agreed to buy the club. This group was led by Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital, Mark Walter, and Hansjörg Wyss. The group later became known as BlueCo. The UK government approved the £4.25 billion takeover. This ended Abramovich's 19 years of owning the club. Bruce Buck, who had been chairman since 2003, was replaced by Boehly. Long-time club director Marina Granovskaia also left, as did Petr Čech from his role as technical advisor.
The club brought in Graham Potter from Brighton & Hove Albion to replace Tuchel on September 8, 2022. Chelsea won six of their first 11 games in the 2022–23 season. However, they won only five of the remaining 27 games. Potter was dismissed on April 2, 2023. Frank Lampard then became caretaker manager. Under Lampard, the club won only one of their last 11 matches. This resulted in a very low win percentage. Chelsea scored a record-low 38 goals that season. They finished in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 1995–96.
Mauricio Pochettino was announced as Lampard's replacement in 2023. He led Chelsea to a 6th-place finish. This earned them a spot in the Conference League play-off round. He also led Chelsea to the 2024 EFL Cup final, where they narrowly lost 1–0 to Liverpool. Pochettino decided to leave the club at the end of the season.
On June 3, 2024, Enzo Maresca was announced as Pochettino's replacement. He led Chelsea to win the Conference League after a 4–1 victory against Real Betis in the final in Wrocław. This made them the first team to win all of the European trophies. On July 13, 2025, he also guided Chelsea to victory in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. This was the first time this expanded competition was held. Chelsea secured the trophy with a 3–0 win over Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final.
League History Overview
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Stamford Bridge: Chelsea's Home Stadium
Chelsea has always played at one home ground: Stamford Bridge. They have been there since the club started. The stadium first opened on April 28, 1877. For the next 28 years, it was used for athletics events. In 1904, businessman Gus Mears and his brother Joseph bought the land. They wanted to use the 12.5-acre site for football matches. Archibald Leitch, a famous football architect, designed Stamford Bridge for the Mears family. He also designed other well-known stadiums. Most football clubs are formed first and then find a place to play. But Chelsea was created specifically for Stamford Bridge.
Stamford Bridge started with an open, bowl-like shape and one main stand with seats. It could hold about 100,000 people. This made it the second-biggest stadium in England at the time. In the early 1930s, a covered terrace was built on the south side. This roof looked like a corrugated iron shed, so the stand became known as the "Shed End." From the 1960s, this area became known as the home of Chelsea's most loyal and loudest fans. In 1939, another small seated stand, the North Stand, was added. It was removed in 1975.
In the early 1970s, the club's owners announced plans to modernize Stamford Bridge. They wanted a new, modern stadium with 50,000 seats. Work began in 1972, but the project had many problems. Only the East Stand was finished. The high cost almost made the club go bankrupt. The land was sold to property developers, and the club was at risk of being forced out of the stadium. After a long legal fight, Chelsea's future at Stamford Bridge was secured in the mid-1990s. Renovation work then started again. The north, west, and south parts of the ground were turned into all-seater stands. They were also moved closer to the pitch. This work was finished by 2001. The East Stand from the 1970s was kept. In 1996, the North Stand was renamed the Matthew Harding stand. This was in honor of a club director who died in a helicopter crash that year.
When Stamford Bridge was redeveloped during the Bates era, many extra features were added. These included two hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants, the Chelsea Megastore, and a visitor attraction called Chelsea World of Sport. The idea was for these facilities to bring in more money for the football club. However, they were not as successful as hoped. Before the Abramovich takeover in 2003, the debt from these projects was a big problem for the club. Soon after the takeover, the club decided to focus only on football. But the stadium is sometimes still called part of "Chelsea Village" or "The Village".
The ownership of Stamford Bridge, the pitch, the turnstiles, and Chelsea's naming rights now belong to Chelsea Pitch Owners. This is a non-profit group where fans are the shareholders. The CPO was created to make sure the stadium could never be sold to developers again. To use the Chelsea FC name, the club must play its first-team matches at Stamford Bridge. This means if the club moves to a new stadium, they might have to change their name. Chelsea's training ground is in Cobham, Surrey. Chelsea moved to Cobham in 2004. Their old training ground was taken over by QPR in 2005. The new training facilities at Cobham were completed in 2007.
Stamford Bridge hosted the FA Cup final from 1920 to 1922. It has also held 10 FA Cup Semi-finals, ten FA Charity Shield matches, and three England international matches. The last England match was in 1932. It was also the place for an unofficial Victory International in 1946. The 2013 UEFA Women's Champions League final was played at Stamford Bridge as well.
The stadium has been used for many other sports. In October 1905, it hosted a rugby union match. In 1914, it hosted a baseball match. It was also the venue for a boxing match in 1918. The running track was used for dirt track racing and greyhound racing for many years. In 1980, Stamford Bridge hosted the first international floodlit cricket match in the UK. It was also the home stadium for the London Monarchs American Football team in 1997.
The previous owner, Abramovich, and the club's board believed a larger stadium was needed. This would help Chelsea compete with rival clubs that have much bigger stadiums. Because of its location near a main road and two railway lines, fans can only enter Stamford Bridge from Fulham Road. This makes it hard to expand the stadium due to safety rules. The club has always said they want to stay at their current home. However, they have been linked with moves to other nearby places. In October 2011, a plan from the club to buy back the land of Stamford Bridge was rejected by Chelsea Pitch Owners shareholders. In May 2012, the club tried to buy Battersea Power Station to build a new stadium, but another group won. The club then announced plans to rebuild Stamford Bridge into a 60,000-seat stadium. In January 2017, these plans were approved. However, on May 31, 2018, the club announced that the new stadium project was paused. They said this was due to "the current unfavorable investment climate."
In July 2022, it was reported that the club's new owner, Todd Boehly, hired American architect Janet Marie Smith. She was brought in to oversee the stadium's renovation.
Chelsea's Identity
Club Crest
Chelsea has had four main crests or badges. Each one had small changes over time. The first crest, used when the club started, showed a Chelsea Pensioner. These are army veterans who live at the nearby Royal Hospital Chelsea. This led to the club's first nickname, "the Pensioners." This crest was used for 50 years, but it never appeared on the team's shirts. When Ted Drake became manager in 1952, he wanted to modernize the club. He thought the Chelsea pensioner crest looked old-fashioned. So, a temporary badge with the letters C.F.C. was used for a year. In 1953, the club crest changed to a blue lion standing up, looking backward, and holding a staff. This design came from the coat of arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea. The lion came from the family crest of Viscount Chelsea, who was the club president. The staff came from the Abbots of Westminster, who used to own the land of Chelsea. This crest also had three red roses for England and two footballs. This was the first Chelsea crest to appear on the shirts, starting in the early 1960s.
In 1986, when Ken Bates owned the club, Chelsea's crest changed again. This was part of another effort to modernize and because the old lion badge could not be protected by trademark. The new badge showed a more realistic lion, in white instead of blue, standing over the letters C.F.C. This badge was used for the next 19 years, with some changes in color. In 2005, with Roman Abramovich as the new owner and the club's 100th anniversary coming up, fans wanted the popular 1950s badge back. So, it was decided to change the crest again. The new crest was officially adopted for the start of the 2005–06 season. It brought back the older design from 1953 to 1986, featuring a blue lion holding a staff. For the 100th anniversary season, the words '100 Years' and 'Centenary 2005–2006' were added to the top and bottom of the crest.
Team Colours
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| Chelsea's first home colours (1905 – c. 1912) |
Chelsea has always worn blue shirts. However, they first used a lighter blue color called eton blue. This color came from the racing colors of the club president, Earl Cadogan. They wore these shirts with white shorts and dark blue or black socks. Around 1912, the light blue shirts were replaced with a royal blue version. In the 1960s, Chelsea manager Tommy Docherty changed the kit again. He switched to blue shorts, which they have worn ever since, and white socks. He believed this made the club's colors more modern and unique. No other major team used that combination. This kit was first worn during the 1964–65 season. Since then, Chelsea has always worn white socks with their home kit. The only exception was a short period from 1985 to 1992, when blue socks were used again.
Chelsea's away colors are usually all yellow or all white with blue details. More recently, the club has had black or dark blue away kits that change every year. Like most teams, they have had some more unusual kits. In the 1966 FA Cup semi-final, they wore blue and black stripes. This was based on Inter Milan's kit. In the mid-1970s, the away kit was red, white, and green. This was inspired by the Hungarian national team of the 1950s. Other away kits include an all-jade strip from 1986 to 1989, red and white diamonds from 1990 to 1992, and graphite and tangerine from 1994 to 1996. The graphite and tangerine kit has sometimes been called one of the worst football kits ever.
Songs and Fan Chants
The song "Blue is the Colour" was released in 1972. All the Chelsea first-team players sang on it. It reached number five on the UK music charts. This song has since been used by other sports teams around the world.
Chelsea released the song "No One Can Stop Us Now" in 1994. It reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart. For the 1997 FA Cup final, the song "Blue Day" was released. It was sung by Suggs and Chelsea players and reached number 22. In 2000, Chelsea released "Blue Tomorrow", which also reached number 22.
At matches, Chelsea fans sing many chants. Some popular ones are "Carefree" and "We All Follow the Chelsea." Another chant is "Celery," which sometimes involves fans throwing celery. However, celery was banned inside Stamford Bridge after an incident in 2007. Other popular chants include "Super Chelsea" and "Super Frank," dedicated to the club's top goal scorer, Frank Lampard. Fans also have chants to cheer on their team or playfully tease opposing teams.
Chelsea Fan Support
Chelsea is one of the most supported football clubs in the world. It has the sixth-highest average attendance in the history of English football. Over 40,000 fans regularly come to Stamford Bridge. In the 2023–24 season, they were the ninth best-supported Premier League team.
Chelsea's fans come from all over the Greater London area. This includes working-class areas and wealthier parts like Chelsea and Kensington. There are many official fan clubs in the UK and around the world. Between 2007 and 2012, Chelsea was ranked fourth globally in sales of replica team kits. As of 2023, Chelsea has over 118 million followers on social media. This is the fourth highest among football clubs.
During the 1970s and 1980s, some Chelsea fan groups were known for crowd behavior issues. However, since the 1990s, there has been a big decrease in these problems. This is thanks to stricter policing, CCTV cameras in stadiums, and the use of all-seater stadiums. In 2007, the club started a campaign to improve the atmosphere at home matches, which has been successful.
Club Rivalries
Chelsea has long-standing rivalries with North London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. A strong rivalry with Leeds United began with several intense matches in the 1960s and 1970s. More recently, a rivalry with Liverpool has grown due to many cup matches between them. Other clubs in West London, like Brentford, Fulham, and Queens Park Rangers, are also considered rivals. However, matches against them happen less often now because the teams are often in different leagues.
A 2004 survey found that Chelsea fans see Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United as their main rivals. In the same survey, fans of several other clubs named Chelsea as one of their top three rivals. A 2012 survey found that Chelsea fans consider Tottenham to be their main rivals, followed by Arsenal and Manchester United.
Chelsea Records and Statistics
Chelsea's player with the most appearances is former captain Ron Harris. He played in 795 competitive games for the club between 1961 and 1980. Five other players have played over 500 games for the club: Peter Bonetti (729), John Terry (717), Frank Lampard (648), John Hollins (592), and César Azpilicueta (508). With 103 caps for England, Lampard is Chelsea's most capped international player. Every starting player in Chelsea's 57 games of the 2013–14 season was a full international player.
Lampard is Chelsea's all-time top goalscorer. He scored 211 goals in 648 games from 2001 to 2014. He broke Bobby Tambling's record of 202 goals in May 2013. Eight other players have scored over 100 goals for Chelsea. These include George Hilsdon, Jimmy Greaves, and Didier Drogba. Greaves holds the club record for the most goals in one season (43 in 1960–61). While playing for Chelsea, Greaves became the youngest player to score 100 goals in the English top league.
Chelsea's biggest win in a competitive match was 13–0. This happened against Jeunesse Hautcharage in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1971. The club's biggest top-flight win was 8–0 against Wigan Athletic in 2010. They matched this in 2012 against Aston Villa. Chelsea's biggest loss was 8–1 against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1953. The club's 21–0 total victory over Jeunesse Hautcharage in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1971 is a record in European competitions. Officially, Chelsea's highest home attendance is 82,905. This was for a First Division match against Arsenal in 1935. However, an estimated crowd of over 100,000 attended a friendly match against Soviet team Dynamo Moscow in 1945.
From March 20, 2004, to October 26, 2008, Chelsea went a record 86 consecutive league matches at home without losing. This broke Liverpool's previous record of 63 matches. Chelsea holds the English record for the fewest goals conceded in a league season (15). They also hold the record for the most clean sheets (games without conceding a goal) in a Premier League season (25). Both records were set during the 2004–05 season. They also have the most consecutive clean sheets from the start of a league season (6), set in 2005–06. Chelsea is the only Premier League team to have won its first nine league games of the season, doing so in 2005–06. From 2009 to 2013, Chelsea was unbeaten in a record 29 consecutive FA Cup matches.
Chelsea's Firsts
On August 25, 1928, Chelsea and Arsenal became the first clubs to play with shirt numbers. This was in their match against Swansea Town.
Chelsea was the first English team to travel by airplane for a domestic away match. This happened when they visited Newcastle United on April 19, 1957. They were also the first First Division team to play a match on a Sunday. This was against Stoke City on January 27, 1974. On December 26, 1999, Chelsea became the first British team to start a Premier League match with an entirely foreign team.
In May 2007, Chelsea was the first team to win the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium. They had also been the last team to win it at the old Wembley. They were the first English club to be ranked No. 1 in UEFA's five-year ranking system in the 21st century. They were the first Premier League team to score at least 100 goals in a single season since 1962–63. This happened during the 2009–10 season. Chelsea is the only London club to have won the UEFA Champions League, which they did in the 2011–12 season. After winning the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, Chelsea became the first English club to win all three major UEFA club trophies of that time. They were also the only club to hold the Champions League and the Europa League at the same time.
In 2025, Chelsea became the first club to have won all four main UEFA club competitions. These are the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, the European/UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Europa Conference League/UEFA Conference League. They are also the first and, as of 2025, only club to have won all three pre-1999 main UEFA club competitions more than once each. Chelsea has also won the UEFA Super Cup twice, in 1998 and 2021. They also won the UEFA Youth League twice, being the first and only club to win it back-to-back. Chelsea is also the only London club to have won both the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Chelsea has broken the record for the highest transfer fee paid by a British club three times. Their £30.8 million purchase of Andriy Shevchenko in June 2006 was a British record until 2008. The club's £50 million purchase of Fernando Torres in January 2011 held the record until 2014. The club's £71 million purchase of Kepa Arrizabalaga in August 2018 is still a world record fee paid for a goalkeeper.
In 2023, Chelsea broke the spending record in the winter transfer window. They spent £289 million on eight new players. The £106.8 million signing of Enzo Fernandez broke the British transfer record.
Club Ownership and Finances
Chelsea Football Club was founded by Gus Mears in 1905. After he passed away in 1912, his family continued to own the club until 1982. That year, Ken Bates bought the club from Mears' great-nephew Brian Mears for just £1. Bates took control of the club. In the mid-1990s, Chelsea fan and businessman Matthew Harding became a director. He loaned the club £26 million to build a new stand and invest in new players.
In July 2003, businessman Roman Abramovich bought most of Chelsea Village plc's shares. This included Bates' stake, for £30 million. Over the next few weeks, he bought out most of the remaining shareholders. This completed a £140 million takeover. When Abramovich took over, the club had debts of about £100 million. Abramovich immediately paid off some of this debt. The remaining debt was fully paid off by 2008. After that, the club had no external debt.
Abramovich changed the ownership name to Chelsea FC plc. Chelsea was also funded by Abramovich through interest-free loans. These loans totaled £709 million in December 2009. At that time, Abramovich converted all these loans into ownership shares. This made the club itself debt-free, though the debt remained with his holding company.
Chelsea did not make a profit in the first nine years of Abramovich's ownership. They had record losses of £140 million in June 2005. However, in November 2012, Chelsea announced a profit of £1.4 million. This was the first time the club made a profit under Abramovich. This was followed by a loss in 2013, and then their highest profit of £18.4 million in June 2014. In 2018, Chelsea announced a record after-tax profit of £62 million.
Chelsea has been called a global brand. A 2012 report ranked Chelsea fifth among football brands. Its brand value was estimated at US$398 million. In 2016, Forbes magazine ranked Chelsea as the seventh most valuable football club in the world. As of 2016, Chelsea was ranked eighth in the Deloitte Football Money League.
As of May 2022, Chelsea was ranked the eighth-most valuable club in the world by Forbes. It was also eighth according to Deloitte, with annual earnings of €493.1 million.
On February 26, 2022, due to changes in global circumstances, Abramovich handed over the "stewardship and care" of Chelsea FC to the Chelsea Charitable Foundation. Abramovich officially announced on March 2, 2022, that he was selling the club. On March 10, 2022, the British government announced some restrictions related to Abramovich. However, it was made clear that Chelsea would be allowed to continue its football activities. On March 12, 2022, the Premier League removed Abramovich as a director of Chelsea Football Club.
On March 19, 2022, five groups had made bids to buy Chelsea FC. On May 7, the club confirmed that a new ownership group had agreed to terms. This group was led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. On May 30, it was confirmed that the Boehly group had completed the purchase of the club. This group included Wyss and Mark Walter. Walter and Boehly also own other sports teams in Los Angeles. The group later became known as BlueCo. The sale received all necessary approvals from governments and football authorities.
As of 2025, Chelsea is the tenth-most-valuable football club in the world. It is worth $3.25 billion and earns $592 million in revenue. As of 2024, it was the tenth-highest-earning football club in the world.
Club Sponsorships
Chelsea's kit has been made by Nike since July 2017. Before that, Adidas made the kit from 2006 to 2017. The partnership with Adidas was extended in 2010 and again in 2013. In May 2016, Adidas announced that the sponsorship would end early. Chelsea had to pay £40 million to Adidas. In October 2016, Nike was announced as the new kit sponsor. This was a deal worth £900 million over 15 years, until 2032. Before Adidas, Umbro and Le Coq Sportif also made Chelsea's kits.
Chelsea's first shirt sponsor was Gulf Air in 1983–84. Other early sponsors included Grange Farms and Simod. A long-term deal was signed with Commodore International in 1989. Later, Amiga, a part of Commodore, appeared on the shirts. Chelsea was then sponsored by Coors beer, Autoglass, Emirates, Samsung Mobile, Samsung, and Yokohama Tyres. From July 2020, Chelsea's sponsor was Three. However, Three temporarily stopped its sponsorship in March 2022 due to restrictions related to Abramovich. It restarted its sponsorship after the club's ownership changed.
When sleeve sponsors were introduced in the Premier League, Chelsea had Alliance Tyres as its first sleeve sponsor in 2017–18. This was followed by Hyundai Motor Company in 2018–19. In 2022–23, Amber Group became the new sleeve sponsor. Their platform WhaleFin appeared on the sleeves of both the men's and women's teams.
The club has many other sponsors and partners. These include Cadbury, EA Sports, FICO, Hilton Worldwide, 3 (company), Levy Restaurants, MSC Cruises, Oman Air, Parimatch, Rexona, Singha, The St. James, Trivago, and BingX.
Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (chest) | Shirt sponsor (sleeve) |
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| 1975–1981 | Umbro | – | – |
| 1981–1983 | Le Coq Sportif | ||
| 1983–1984 | Gulf Air | ||
| 1984–1986 | – | ||
| 1986–1987 | The Chelsea Collection | Bai Lin Tea | |
| 1987 | Simod | ||
| 1987–1993 | Umbro | Commodore | |
| 1993–1994 | Amiga | ||
| 1994–1997 | Coors | ||
| 1997–2001 | Autoglass | ||
| 2001–2005 | Emirates | ||
| 2005–2006 | Samsung | ||
| 2006–2015 | Adidas | ||
| 2015–2017 | Yokohama Tyres | ||
| 2017–2018 | Nike | Alliance Tire Company | |
| 2018–2020 | Hyundai | ||
| 2020–2022 | Three | ||
| 2022–2023 | WhaleFin | ||
| 2023–2024 | Infinite Athlete | BingX | |
| 2024–2025 | – | Fever | |
| 2025 | DAMAC | Live Nation | |
| 2025– | – | – |
Chelsea Players
First-Team Squad
|
|
Players Out on Loan
|
|
Other Players Under Contract
|
|
Under-21s and Academy Players
- Players who have played at least one first-team game for Chelsea.
|
|
Chelsea Management Team
Coaching Staff
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| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Enzo Maresca |
| Assistant coach |  Willy Caballero |
| First team coach | Roberto Vitiello |
 Danny Walker |
|
| Goalkeeper coaches | Michele De Bernardin |
 Hilário |
|
| Assistant goalkeeper coach | James Russell |
| Head of global goalkeeping | Ben Roberts |
| Fitness coaches |  Marcos Alvarez |
| Player support and development officer |  Willie Isa |
| Technical analyst |  Bernardo Cueva |
| Match analyst | Javi Molina |
| Loan technical coaches | Carlo Cudicini |
| Under-21s head coach | Filipe Coelho |
| Under-21s assistant | Jack Mesure |
| James Simmonds |
|
| Under-18s head coach | Hassan Sulaiman |
| Under-18s assistant |  Andy Ross |
| Jimmy Smith |
Source: Chelsea F.C.
Notable Managers and Their Trophies
The following managers won at least one trophy while leading Chelsea:
| Name | Period | Trophies |
|---|---|---|
| Ted Drake |
1952–1961 | First Division Championship, Charity Shield |
| Tommy Docherty |
1962–1967 | League Cup |
| Dave Sexton |
1967–1974 | FA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup |
| John Neal |
1981–1985 | Second Division Championship |
| John Hollins |
1985–1988 | Full Members Cup |
| Bobby Campbell |
1988–1991 | Second Division Championship, Full Members Cup |
 Ruud Gullit |
1996–1998 | FA Cup |
| Gianluca Vialli |
1998–2000 | FA Cup, League Cup, Charity Shield, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup |
| José Mourinho |
2004–2007 2013–2015 |
3 Premier Leagues, 3 League Cups, FA Cup, Community Shield |
| Guus Hiddink |
2009 2015–2016 |
FA Cup |
| Carlo Ancelotti |
2009–2011 | Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield |
| Roberto Di Matteo |
2012 | FA Cup, UEFA Champions League |
| Rafael Benítez |
2012–2013 | UEFA Europa League |
| Antonio Conte |
2016–2018 | Premier League, FA Cup |
| Maurizio Sarri |
2018–2019 | UEFA Europa League |
 Thomas Tuchel |
2021–2022 | UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup |
| Enzo Maresca |
2024– | UEFA Conference League, FIFA Club World Cup |
Club Personnel
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman |  Todd Boehly |
| Directors | David Barnard |
| Barbara Charone |
|
| Behdad Eghbali |
|
| José E. Feliciano |
|
| Daniel Finkelstein |
|
| Jonathan Goldstein |
|
| James Pade |
|
| Mark Walter |
|
 Hansjörg Wyss |
|
| Chief executive officer | Jason Gannon |
| President of business | Tom Glick |
| Director of football operations | David Barnard |
| Vice presidents | Joe Hemani |
| Anthony Reeves |
|
| Alan Spence |
Source: Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Honours and Trophies
After winning the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, Chelsea became the fourth club in history to have won the "European Treble." This means they won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, and European Cup Winners' Cup/UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The other clubs were Juventus, Ajax, and Bayern Munich. Chelsea is the first English club to have won all three major UEFA trophies from the past. After winning the UEFA Conference League in 2025, Chelsea became the first club to win all four main UEFA competitions.
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | First Division/Premier League | 6 | 1954–55, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17 |
| Second Division | 2 | 1983–84, 1988–89 | |
| FA Cup | 8 | 1969–70, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2017–18 | |
| Football League Cup/EFL Cup | 5 | 1964–65, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2014–15 | |
| FA Charity Shield/FA Community Shield | 4 | 1955, 2000, 2005, 2009 | |
| Full Members' Cup | 2s | 1985–86, 1989–90 | |
| Continental | UEFA Champions League | 2 | 2011–12, 2020–21 |
| UEFA Europa League | 2 | 2012–13, 2018–19 | |
| UEFA Conference League | 1s | 2024–25 | |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 2 | 1970–71, 1997–98 | |
| UEFA Super Cup | 2 | 1998, 2021 | |
| Worldwide | FIFA Club World Cup | 2 | 2021, 2025 |
- record
- s shared record
Chelsea's Trophy Doubles
- Premier League and FA Cup: 2009–10
- Premier League and League Cup: 2004–05, 2014–15
- League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup: 1997–98
- FA Cup and League Cup: 2006–07
- FA Cup and UEFA Champions League: 2011–12
- UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup: 2024–25
Chelsea Women's Team
Chelsea also has a women's football team, Chelsea Football Club Women. They used to be called Chelsea Ladies. They have been connected to the men's team since 2004. They are part of the club's Community Development program. They play their home games at Kingsmeadow. The club was promoted to the Premier Division for the first time in 2005. They won the Surrey County Cup nine times between 2003 and 2013. In 2010, Chelsea Ladies were one of the eight founding members of the FA Women's Super League. In 2015, Chelsea Ladies won the FA Women's Cup for the first time. They beat Notts County Ladies at Wembley Stadium. A month later, they won their first FA WSL title, completing a league and cup double. In 2018, they won a second league and FA Cup double. Two years later, in 2020, they won their third league title and the FA Women's League Cup for the first time. In the 2020–21 season, Chelsea won three domestic trophies: the league, FA Cup, and League Cup. They reached the final of the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time, but lost to Barcelona 4–0.
John Terry, who was a former captain of the Chelsea men's team, is the president of Chelsea Women.
See also
In Spanish: Chelsea Football Club para niños
- List of world champion football clubs
- Chelsea F.C. Women
