Chelsea could snub Champions League football under unusual UEFA ruling

Chelsea could be offered a unique option should they qualify for the Champions League and also defeat Real Betis in the final of the UEFA Conference League this month

Chelsea are battling for a place in next season's Champions League - but they do not have to take their spot even if they finish in the top five due to a UEFA rule which would become relevant should they win the Europa Conference League.

Enzo Maresca's side saw their hopes take a blow on Sunday after falling to defeat against Newcastle United. They still sit within the top five but are only ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference with Nottingham Forest also just one point worse off in seventh.

The Blues will hope they can retain their place in the table with fixtures against Manchester United and Forest to come. But even if they do, they could find themselves with a degree of flexibility.

Chelsea could still earn a place in the Europa League via the Conference League. The west London side will win that right with a victory over Real Betis in the final later this month.

Should Maresca's men earn a place in the Champions League and earn their silverware, they will be afford the option of choosing between entering the Champions League or the league phase of the Europa League.

There's little reason to suspect Chelsea will not pick a place in Europe's biggest competition but there is a good reason for the option to exist. Some domestic qualification spots mean teams must navigate a qualification round.

Failure there does not guarantee a spot in the Europa League so some sides may prefer to take the automatic place on offer. This is pre-eminently done to protect minnows who are better served by guaranteeing their place.

It has not been the only complicating factor to Chelsea's aspirations either. After not playing in European competition since 2022/23, the Blues could qualify along with Strasbourg, who are also owned by BlueCo.

The Ligue 1 side can still earn a place in Champions League qualifying, but teams with the same ownership are not permitted to play in the same competition. To do so, Strasbourg would be required to move into a 'blind' trust to remove any conflicts or BlueCo could reduce their stake in one of the clubs to satisfy UEFA.

Chelsea's aspirations certainly seem to remain to earn a spot in the Champions League. But Italian boss Maresca would not see the season as a failure if not. "Compared to the last two years, it is not a failure," he said recently. "How many times in the last two years have Chelsea been in the UCL? How many? Zero.

"How many times this season? Almost all season. Is it an improvement or not? It's already an improvement because we have spent all season there. Now, we are going to try our best to finish there, no doubt. We want to finish there, no doubt. We are happy to finish there? Yes.

"Is it enough? No, because we want to compete for titles. But compared to last two years, I think it's quite clear that there's an improvement.

"If you want to see it, you see it. If you don't want to see it, you don't see it. It depends in which way... I see that."