Chelsea Football Club has confirmed their participation in the upcoming 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League, a decision that has significant financial implications due to UEFA’s stringent Financial Sustainability Regulations (FSR).

The west London club’s inclusion in Europe’s third-tier competition comes after finishing sixth in the Premier League, with Manchester United clinching the final Europa League spot by winning the FA Cup.

The Blues are facing a challenging financial landscape, with their pre-tax losses recorded at £90.1 million, exceeding the €80 million limit set by UEFA for the 2024-25 monitoring period. This situation is further complicated by UEFA’s exclusion of real estate profits from financial calculations, affecting Chelsea’s compliance efforts which involved the sale of two hotels at Stamford Bridge to a sister company.

In light of these financial constraints and the lower earnings associated with the Conference League compared to the Champions League, Chelsea is reportedly planning to sell homegrown talents such as Conor Gallagher and Trevoh Chalobah, according to Metro.

The sales of these players, both developed within Chelsea’s youth system, are seen as a crucial step to balance the books, as they would count as pure profit under UEFA’s financial regulations.

Chelsea’s official statement underscored the team’s commitment to competing in the Conference League, marking their first participation in the tournament since its inception in the 2021/22 season. The club will enter the competition at the play-off round, needing to secure a victory in a two-legged tie to progress to the league stage. The draw for the play-off round is set for August 5th, with matches scheduled for August 22nd and 29th.

Despite not having played in European competitions last season, Chelsea holds a strong UEFA coefficient of 96.000, nearly three times higher than the next best-ranked club, Real Betis, who also qualified for the play-off round alongside teams like Heidenheim from Germany and Lens from France.

As Chelsea gears up for their European campaign, the club’s management is focused on ensuring compliance with financial regulations while striving to maintain competitive performance on the field. The impending player sales are a testament to the complex balancing act between financial health and sporting success in modern football.