Last summer they became world champions. Now they are out of Europe and in danger of not even qualifying for the Champions League.
Chelsea’s mounting problems, both on and off the pitch, cannot be ignored.
Sky Sports looks to answer the key questions surrounding the Stamford Bridge troubles ahead of the crucial run-in.
What am I doing wrong?
On the pitch, Chelsea have not achieved the results that some had hoped for after winning the Club World Cup. Clearly, there were issues behind the scenes between Enzo Maresca and the club’s hierarchy, but his last 10 games have resulted in three wins, three draws and four losses.
Following his success with sister club Strasbourg, Maresca was replaced by Liam Rosenior. In the past 10 matches, they have had 4 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws. His winning percentage has certainly improved, but considering two of his wins have come against lower league opponents in the FA Cup and the other against Wolves, who sit at the foot of the Premier League, it’s not a very good number.
Chelsea stats from Enzo Maresca’s first 18 games compared to Liam Rosenior
Add to that the fact that he hasn’t won at home in that span. Defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle are another thing. However, dropping points against Leeds, who are fighting for relegation, and Burnley, who are destined for relegation, is not a good image.
That’s not Rosenior’s only fault. There were doubts about the hire long before his arrival. Instead of Cole Palmer and João Pedro, we have Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap. Rosenior can only play the hand dealt to him by Chelsea’s many sporting directors. There are also discipline issues that will hurt the club throughout the season.
What Rosenior has control over is team selection and tactics, both of which are questionable. Rosenior, seeing it wasn’t going to work, messed up the tactic during the break. He helped the Reds come back from behind to win against West Ham and Napoli, but his half-time adjustments failed to ease the threat against PSG. It’s good to have a Plan B, but I’m concerned about how many times Rosenior’s Plan A fails.
There are more problems off the pitch. Chelsea’s squad has been leaked to the media on several occasions, including before the PSG visit, before which Rosenior vowed to stop the leaks. This makes the most important issue of club discipline even more acute.
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Liam Rosenior answers questions about Chelsea’s disciplinary record following Pedro Neto’s red card at Arsenal
And then there’s the small matter of the one-year transfer ban handed down by the Premier League this week for secret payments made under Roman Abramovich.
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Back in October, Enzo Maresca admitted that Chelsea had discipline problems. The club has since been shown a further four red cards.
What happens if Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League?
Sky Sports News Chief Correspondent Kaveh Solhekol:
Figures released by UEFA revealed in February that the club had suffered their biggest ever annual loss for an English team.
Chelsea’s record loss came in a season in which they won the Conference League and qualified for the Champions League.
Two months after the end of the 2024/25 season, they won the expanded Club World Cup in the United States, earning them up to £90 million.
In the past, the losses would have been subsidized by Abramovich, but he was forced to sell the club and the regulatory landscape is completely different from the early days of the Russian billionaire’s ownership.
Chelsea’s big problem, apart from the fact that they haven’t won any major trophies under their new owners, is that their revenue lags behind their main rivals.
Chelsea’s owners face challenges on a number of fronts. In the short term, their priority is to qualify for the Champions League.
Despite Chelsea’s belief that their finances are improving, their participation in Europe’s elite competition is now more important than ever.
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Is there a possibility that key players will leave?
Chelsea made a lot of headlines by signing Todd Boley to an incredibly long contract early in the Clear Lake Capital era. Currently, 23 players are under contract until 2030.
This is a risk for a player who may not be able to make the impact that some would like, but there is no doubt that Chelsea are in a strong position. When a team acquires one of their star players, the answer is simple. We don’t want to sell, and we don’t need to sell.
That said, if the Blues fail to qualify for the Champions League, key players who have been at Chelsea for several years may be allowed to get their feet wet. We’ve already seen reports that Cole Palmer is homesick and wants to move back north, with Manchester United reportedly interested.
After Tuesday’s loss to Paris Saint-Germain, Fernandes cast doubt on his future. Asked on ESPN Argentina if he could guarantee he would be at Chelsea next season, he said: “I don’t know. That’s what I’m focused on right now. There’s eight Premier League games and the FA Cup left. And the World Cup is coming up, so I’ll think about it after that.”
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Reece James and Liam Rosennier share their thoughts after it was announced that the Chelsea captain has signed a new six-year contract with the club.
What are the feelings of the fans?
In short, fans are indifferent to the current situation. Winning was important under Roman Abramovich. Now let’s talk about building the project. But fans are fed up with this and you can’t blame them. Rosenior is my fourth project in recent years.
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Gary Cotterill sums up the big stories from Chelsea’s disappointing night at Stamford Bridge, where they lost to holders PSG
At half-time and full-time against PSG, the remaining players booed loudly. Most of the stands were empty at that point. After the third goal, fans started pouring in.
The dissatisfaction with Rosenior is not that great, and it’s not like he’s done anything to convince the majority of his supporters. It will be collected at the board meeting. Protests were held and chants calling for Abramovich could be heard. Simply put, while fans are desperate for Chelsea to return to their previous identity, those in charge are distancing themselves from Chelsea.
Is there any pressure on Rosenior?
Before answering that question, it’s interesting to note that Chelsea’s hierarchy doesn’t seem to be under any pressure. The most prominent sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart, signed new long-term contracts at the start of the season.
“It’s clear we’re building one of the best teams in the world,” Chelsea’s unnamed manager told a fan group this month.
The problem they have is that Chelsea supporters over the past 20 years have become accustomed to high standards, quality managers and regular silverware. They did not seek to pivot this axis towards young people, potential, long-term projects. But owners say this is a new way of doing things and they need to trust us to do it right.
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Jamie O’Hara believes Chelsea have ‘stepped back’ under Todd Boley and Clearlake Capital owners after Champions League exit to PSG
As for Rosenior, he will be safe in his job for now. He has 18 games left until 2032 on his contract. He was hand-picked by the club’s sporting director.
But so was Graham Potter. So was Enzo Maresca. While superficially valuable, history has shown that it does not guarantee time.
If Rosenior fails to qualify for the Champions League or win the FA Cup, Chelsea will have to make a decision. Support him amidst fan complaints or reset the project once again.
