Chelsea Football Club

Historical reference marks

the beginnings: the birth of Chelsea FC is related to the construction of the stage of Stamford Bridge. Following the refusal of Fulham to use this very new London enclosure, the promoters of the stage were constrained to create their own club. They managed to convince League to accept the candidature of this club hardly born, who carried out his great beginnings in championship of D2 the September 2nd 1905 with Stockport. Stamford Bridge is cordially inaugurated two days later at the time of a friendly match vis-a-vis Liverpool. The multitude is disappointing (4 000) just like that recorded one week later for the great beginnings of the Blues with residence in championship (6 000). However the good performances helping, Chelsea managed to very quickly constitute a very important base of supporters. As of its third season of existence, Chelsea was the club recording besides the best multitudes of the country.

Taste of the international one

Chelsea is for a long time a club practitioner the recruitment of foreign players. Indeed, when Gianluca Vialli was trainer, the club did not count less than 13 different nationalities in its manpower, so that the drives in the middle of London were to be made in Italian!

Chelsea is also the second French quota in England behind Arsenal FC since followed one another Marcel Desailly, Franck Lebœuf, Emmanuel Petit, Didier Deschamps, William Gallas, Claude Makélélé, Lassana Diarra, Florent Malouda.

Money with the capacity

In 2003, the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovitch then repurchases the club in lose speed with Ken Bates for approximately 200 million euros. It injects there then nearly 700 million euros. It obtains the best players of planet, and after the departure of the Italian trainer Claudio Ranieri, it makes come the sulfurous one but talented trainer from FC Oporto (very right winner of the Ligue of the Champions), Jose Mourinho which will leave on September 19th, 2007 at the evening after a puffing beginning of the season (officially because the relations between Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovitch were at the point, this last having hoped for a false step of its team to lay off the Portuguese trainer). Chelsea is located now among the six richest clubs of the world, with FC Barcelona, the Juventus of Turin, the Real Madrid, Manchester United and the Milan AC.

Birth of a large club

In the Nineties, Chelsea is dissociated like a resolutely international team, practitioner a spectacular play, but the club is also marked by its irregularity and remains an outsider. Great names of Football on the twilight of their career or of the players ready to rebound came in Chelsea (Gianfranco Zola, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Marcel Desailly). At the time, Chelsea is regarded as a team of mercenaries. As of the arrival of Ranieri, Chelsea tests by buying great names of football to train a team, the bet will be almost gained since they will finish seconds behind Arsenal FC. However Ranieri is thanked and arrives Jose Mourinho and Peter Kenyon in order to establish a true plan with the long run to become a large club. Since 2005 thus, Peter Kenyon makes it possible Chelsea to become a rich and powerful club and especially depending gradually on the money of Roman Abramovitch. Thus in 2005, Samsung becomes the official sponsor of the club and in 2006 Adidas becomes the equipment supplier about it. Chelsea builds also a complete team under the egery of Jose Mourinho. Recruitment is dispersed on two axes, of large players and the great hopes of football. Thus Claude Makélélé or more recently Florent Malouda or Michael Ballack or Andrei Shevchenko and Didier Drogba belonged to the great names of football to join Chelsea. And Arjen Robben, Joe Sticks and Frank Lampard belongs to the very great hopes to supplement the rows of the Blues. It consolidates their position of better club of English football in their bringing 2 championships of England in 2005 and 2006, to which 2 are added League Cup in 2005 and 2007, as well as Cup in 2007.

Another proof that Chelsea is a large club: the record of invincibility has residence which was beaten at the time of the 1st day of the season 2007-2008 and one victory over Birmingham City. The number goes from now on to 64 matches without defeat.

Chelsea and its supporters

In the pure English tradition, Chelsea is supported by important Kop in England. However Chelsea acts all the same as poor child compared to the other large clubs of England. The passion for Chelsea is well far from that dedicated for clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Arsenal FC or Newcastle United. Chelsea with the fifth multitude of English football, and attracts regularly more than 40,000 supporters has Stamford Brigde. The historical base of the supporters of Chelsea comes from the working classes of the London west, like Hammersmith or Battersea, or of the more fortunate classes of the districts of Chelsea or Kensington. For a few years, Chelsea just like Lyon has found a new breath on the level of popularity, the players and results helping. In the Seventies and Eighties, the supporters of Chelsea were associated with the " hooliganisme" , and were known for their violence, following the example supporters of West Ham United or Milwall. Some of the groups of supporters were close to the English nationalist party (British National Party). In France, the image of Chelsea is somewhat discussed. Few French players came in Chelsea as for Arsenal. Chelsea is not registered in the European prize list like Liverpool and Manchester United. The number of supporters of the Blues in France weak and is scattered. However, each day their number increases. In July 2006, following the example existing similar structures for the supporters of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester, a named association " Chelsea Supporters France" the day sees. It is the first branch of supporters of Chelsea in France which is about to be recognized by the club.

Prize list

Supercoupe of the UEFA ( 1 ):

Victorious : 1998.

Cut of Europe of the winners of cut ( 2 ):

Victorious : 1971 and 1998.

Championship of England ( 3 ):

Champion : 1955, 2005 and 2006.
Vice-champion : 2004, 2007.

Cut of England ( 4 ):

Victorious : 1970, 1997, 2000 and 2007.
Finalist : 1915, 1967, 1994 and 2002.

Cut of the League ( 4 ):

Victorious : 1965, 1998, 2005 and 2007.
Finalist : 1972.

Championship of England de D2 ( 2 ):

Champion : 1984 and 1989
Vice-champion : 1907, 1912, 1930, 1963 and 1977.

Charity Shield ( 3 )

Victorious : 1955, 2000, 2005.

" players off the year" (players of the year) of Chelsea (1967-2007)

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Trainers of Chelsea

Current manpower (2007-08)

Signatures and departures of the mercato of summer 2007

Arrived :

Steve Sidwell of (Free).
Danny Philliskirk of Oldham.
Claudio Pizarro of (Free).
Tal Ben Haim of (Free).
Florent Malouda of. (21M€)
Alex of (Return of loan) the
Juliano Belletti of (5,5M€) the

Departures :

Yves Makabu-Makalambay with.
Jonas Elmer with.
Geremi Njitap with. (3M€)
Khalid Boulahrouz with. (Loan)
Ben Sahar with. (Loan)
Michael Mancienne with. (Loan)
Jimmy Smith with. (Loan)
Hernan Crespo with. (Loan)
Arjen Robben with. (36 million)
Glen Johnson with Portsmouth Football Club (4,5 million)
Lassana Diarra with (21 million)

External bonds

Official site of the club

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