The latest list of European clubs has been officially released by UEFA, with Chelsea being named higher than many would perhaps have guessed.
It has now been a whole season since the Blues partook in any form of European football, with that not being a distraction for Mauricio Pochettino to have to deal with.
This may well have been a blessing in disguise for the Argentine though. He had to deal with a plethora of serious injuries to some of his most important players.
Christopher Nkunku, Reece James, and Romeo Lavia were hardly able to make an impact last season, while Wesley Fofana didn’t feature at all.
They have all been spotted back in training this summer though, as they prepare to return to Europe with the Europa Conference League.
Despite the fact that they would be featuring in the third tier of European football, it seems this has not had too much effect on their status amongst the continent’s elite.
Chelsea ranked ninth in top sides in Europe
According to UEFA, the Blues rank in ninth place, with only Liverpool and Manchester City ahead of them.
This sees them ahead of the likes of Arsenal, despite their impressive two campaigns at domestic level.
Chelsea will be looking to bounce back even higher next season though, with them deeming that Enzo Maresca is the man to take their project into the future.
The length of contract that has been handed to the Italian suggests that they have plenty of faith in what he can do for them, and one of their signings may also hint that too.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been brought in after the pair worked together previously at Leicester City, and there is expectation that he can have a big role to play at his new club as early as next season.
