According to journalist Matt Law of The Telegraph, Chelsea may refuse to participate in the Europa League next season, despite finishing sixth in the 2023–24 Premier League.

 

Because MU won the FA Cup, Chelsea was dropped to the Europa League next season despite finishing 6th in the Premier League, a position that guarantees participation in the Europa League.

A significant improvement in form towards the end of the season helped the Blues win their final five matches. But this was still not considered good enough and Mauricio Pochettino lost his job.

Chelsea are set for another tumultuous summer in search of a new manager and to ensure they continue to comply with the Premier League’s Sustainability and Profitability Rules.

If the Blues want to compete in Europe, they will also have to comply with stricter Financial Fair Play Rules. That’s why journalist Matt Law thinks it’s possible they will withdraw from this tournament.

Chelsea must play in the Conference League after MU won the FA Cup

Speaking on the ‘At The Bridge’ podcast, Law said: “Because UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Rules (FFP) are stricter than the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), Chelsea are likely to refuse to participate in the Europa League because of the risk of violating financial rules.”

The Conference League is the third league in Europe and for Chelsea, a two-time Champions League champion, this could be considered a tournament not worth participating in if there is a risk of being banned from playing in the future.

One thing is clear: Chelsea have the necessary squad depth to participate and could easily field two different teams in the National League and Europe. Therefore, the final decision will belong to the Blues’ Board of Directors.

Whatever happens, Pochettino’s successor will have a huge amount of work to do and it remains to be seen whether they will have the time needed to succeed.