Chelsea must tread carefully in the coming years as they seek a long-term future across UEFA’s three club competitions.
The next Chelsea head coach could be denied the chance to compete in either of UEFA’s three club competitions. The Blues sacked Liam Rosenior following a humiliating defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday night, leaving Calum McFarlane in charge on an interim basis.
football.london understands that BlueCo are willing to take their time in the search for a new gaffer, who must align with their long-term ambitions. The higher-ups at Stamford Bridge are expected to undertake a careful and considered process before appointing a permanent replacement.
As it stands, it’s unclear who will take the reins next season, but a lot could hinge on whether Chelsea qualify for either of UEFA’s three club competitions. The west Londoners are just a point off Bournemouth in seventh, which could earn a spot in the Conference League.
However, Brentford, Everton, and Sunderland have a game in hand; they could push Chelsea into the bottom half of the Premier League this weekend if they win their respective matches. Fulham could also leapfrog the Blues, although they’d need to beat Aston Villa by an 11-goal differential.
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Even if Chelsea do qualify for either the Champions League, Europa League or Conference, they’re at risk of further punishment from UEFA. According to The Times, the Blues plan to play in Europe next season, even if they’re offered the option of taking a one-year ban to avoid a future exclusion.
The report claims that experts believe the resulting loss of income from the Champions League would put them at risk of breaching their settlement agreement with UEFA. In July 2025, Chelsea announced that they had entered into a settlement agreement with the governing body following a self-reported break-even deficit under the Financial Sustainability Regulations.
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The Blues also agreed to pay a fine reportedly worth £26.5m. The Times have added that Chelsea higher-ups are due to hold talks with the Club Financial Control Body at UEFA regarding the settlement agreement in the ‘coming weeks’.
It would be a nightmare if they west Londoners were to appoint a new head coach, who signs a long-term deal on the premise of competing in either of UEFA’s three club competitions. Chelsea’s chances of getting into Europe hinge on many variables, but they could at least qualify for the Europa League via the FA Cup.
The Blues will hope to return to winning ways when they lock horns with Leeds United at Wembley Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Chelsea have lost and failed to score in each of their last three games across all competitions.
The terrible run of form ultimately cost Rosenior his job. Speaking to reporters ahead of the clash in the capital this weekend, Daniel Farke claimed that Chelsea could be back to their very best under McFarlane.
“If someone overtakes just before your game, it doesn’t make the preparation easier,” said the Leeds boss. “That’s a fact and it also feels a bit tricky because it’s like a fresh start for the [Chelsea] players. Not to mention the quality of the Chelsea players.
“Everyone was talking about the manager in recent weeks but now that ‘excuse’ is away and it’s up to the players to deliver. Everyone speaks that they have to show the basics.
“It’s always the same, when some top class players are showing the basics and have no excuses, then it can be a really dangerous side. For that, I expect a Chelsea side who are back to their best.
“I expect a side that will try to prove it’s a fresh start and right now the burden is a bit away and we want to show more or less what we’re capable of. And I expect them to be back to their best free-flowing football.
“But we want to this doesn’t take anything away that we want to be successful again. For that we will prepare to face a really strong, a really dangerous side. We are greedy to also be successful in this game.”
