Little-known rule could force Chelsea to play Champions League clash in neutral stadium

Chelsea might have to play their Champions League last-16 home leg away from Stamford Bridge due to a little-known rule.

The Blues confirmed a top-eight finish in the league phase with a 3-2 comeback win against Napoli on Wednesday night.

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Liam Rosenior’s side finished sixth in the table and have advanced to the knockout stages as a result.

They will face one of Monaco, Qarabag, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain, with their knockout play-off draw coming on Friday.

However, Chelsea may not be able to play at their home stadium due to UEFA rules.

Blues battle for Stamford Bridge

London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur came first and fourth respectively, and their second leg matches will be played at home.

UEFA principles say clubs are not able to play ‘in the same stadium, the same city or in cities within a radius of 50km’ on the same night.

If such a scenario arises in the knockout phase, then an alternative stadium must be identified by the national association and club.

And because Chelsea have a lower ranking than Arsenal and Spurs in the league phase, then they may have to play in the different venue.

However, they could inform UEFA of their wish to reverse the tie and therefore play the first leg at home to avoid an alternative venue.

Chelsea could also play their last-16 second leg at Stamford Bridge on the Thursday night instead of Tuesday or Wednesday [March 17/18].

But this may cause broadcasting issues because Europa League and Conference League last-16 ties are also scheduled for that week.

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How Chelsea reached the last-16

Chelsea made a losing start to their Champions League campaign in a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich.

Back-to-back home wins against Benfica and Ajax were then followed by a 2-2 draw at Qarabag, before they thumped Barcelona 3-0.

And although they were beaten 2-1 by Atalanta, subsequent wins over Pafos and Napoli have helped send them into the last-16.

Chelsea are into the Champions League knockouts for the first time since the 2022/23 season.

It’s also the two-time winners’ first season in the competition under the new format.

Should they go all the way this year, Chelsea will join Inter Milan and Manchester United on three titles.