Chelsea are set to embark on their first-ever UEFA Conference League campaign, with away trips to German Bundesliga side Heidenheim and Greek club Panathinaikos among the highlights of the league phase, following the draw held on Friday in Monaco.
After finishing sixth in last season’s Premier League, Chelsea find themselves in Europe’s third-tier competition for the first time in their history. The Stamford Bridge club will also play home fixtures against Belgium’s Gent, Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers, and FC Noah of Armenia, who fought through four qualifying rounds to reach the league stage.
Under the management of Enzo Maresca, Chelsea will visit Heidenheim, a team that secured their Conference League spot by finishing eighth in their debut Bundesliga season. The London club will also face Panathinaikos, former European Cup runners-up, and Astana of Kazakhstan in their other away games.
Chelsea’s qualification for the group stage came after a narrow victory over Switzerland’s Servette in the play-offs. The Blues will aim to add the Conference League trophy to their already illustrious cabinet, which includes two Champions League titles, two Europa Leagues, two Cup Winners’ Cups, and two UEFA Super Cups.
The UEFA Conference League, established just three years ago, has undergone a significant format change this season. The group stage has been replaced by a league phase, with all 36 participating clubs pooled into one large league and split into six seeded pots. Each team will play one match against a club from each pot, resulting in a total of six games, fewer than the eight games per club in the Champions League and Europa League.
Notable teams in this season’s competition include Fiorentina of Italy, runners-up in the last two editions, and Real Betis representing Spain. Meanwhile, no French team made it to the league phase after Lens were defeated by Panathinaikos in the play-offs.
Scottish side Hearts will face FC Copenhagen, Cercle Brugge, and Heidenheim, while Larne from Northern Ireland, another newcomer to this stage of European competition, will host Shamrock Rovers.
UEFA is set to announce the specific fixture dates on Saturday, with the first matches scheduled for October 3 and the final matchday on December 19. The Conference League final will take place on May 28 next year in Wroclaw, Poland.
