Chelsea’s reward for sixth place last season was a spot in the (play-offs for) the newly named “Conference League” (née “Europa Conference League”), a third-tier cash grab by UEFA for the next 36 best teams on the continent. at least in theory.

We are by far the biggest team in this year’s competition, especially in terms of UEFA coefficient (and that despite a year outside Europe): the gap between us (96,000) and the next highest team, FC Copenhagen (51,500), is almost as big as Copenhagen’s gap to the lowest-placed participant in the competition phase, FC Noah (2,125). Or to look at it another way, our coefficient is almost exactly as high as the next two combined. One of those two, KAA Gent (45,000), is in the city today.

Of course, as we saw in the play-off against Servette FC, games are not won based on coefficients or reputations. They are won by goals and lost by mistakes. The way this competition is structured means we can afford a few mistakes in the competition phase and still get to the part that matters (the top 8 advance to the Round of 16, the next 16 advance to the Round of 32 ; only the bottom 8 go home), but we are expected to win all six matches – and therefore avoid the two extra matches that the Round of 32 would entail.

Enzo Maresca has admitted that we are aware of the potential to make history by winning this competition, becoming the first club to win (again) every major European club competition, but has also made it quite clear that we are not looking are as far ahead as you can imagine.

“We are enthusiastic and will do our best. It’s a European competition and we have to be ready for it. (…) We are (aware of the possible history), but we are happy and enthusiastic about tomorrow’s match.

“At the last press conference you asked me if Chelsea reached the final of the Carabao Cup last year – you can’t think about that when you start the first game. You have to play game after game and that’s how we’ll try to approach the rest of the season.”

-Enzo Maresca; source: Football.London

Date/time: Thursday 3 October 2024, 8pm BST; 3:00 PM EDT; 12:30 IST
Location: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Daniel Schlager (on the field); Soren Storks (VAR)
Prediction: It’s starting to cool down, but hopefully just the weather

On television: TNT Sports (UK); none (US); Sony TEN 5 (India); SuperSport MáXimo 3 (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: discovery+ (UK); Paramount+ (US); Sony LIV (India); DStv Now, SuperSport GoTV (NGA)

Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Chelsea team news: Injuries flared up again last month, but we successfully reduced them to just one. Unfortunately, that’s Reece James, who still doesn’t have a set timetable for his return.

As this is a UEFA competition, we cannot employ the services of Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana or Roméo Lavia as they were spared this workload and were not registered. Ben Chilwell is also ineligible, unlike in domestic cup competitions.

Chelsea have won four in all competitions and lost just twice at the Bridge in the last eleven months. Keep building that fort!

Photo by TOM GOYVAERTS/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

KAA Gent team news: That’s Ghent with a T, not to be confused with Genk, with a K. Or is it just me?

Gent (with a T) finished just 7th in the 16-team Belgian top division last season, but they won their post-season mini-league thingie, which then gave them a one-off against Genk (with a K) to decide who would qualify for Europe. Genk (with a K) finished above them in the league, but Gent (with a T) pulled off the upset and came in its place. K?

(If half the Belgian league has a realistic shot at European football, maybe that’s a sign to return to this UEFA horror, right? Soon, football will resemble the NHL, where every team qualifies for the play- offs, as the old joke goes.)

Speaking of North America, the Gent (with a T) Football Club logo is a Native American head in profile and with full headdress, which is…weird and random, to say the least. And it becomes even more problematic because apparently, some eighteen years later, it was inspired by Buffalo Bill’s traveling Wild West circus, which went to Ghent (the city) in 1906 as part of the exploitation of indigenous peoples.

Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images

The club (with a T) is aware of the ‘social debate’ (their auto-translated words) surrounding the ‘use of stereotypical images and caricatures of Indians by sports clubs’, but claims they continue to use this to ‘sign off’. attention in Europe to the social situation of Native American communities today.” Moreover: “KAA Gent does not avoid the discussion about the club logo. Stereotyping, racism and discrimination are themes that the KAA Gent Foundation is also working on. The club logo helps us with this.” What about job security?

They have two (2!) entire pages on their website dedicated to this topic, one of which then links to a Wikipedia article. Turn heads, baby!

In any case, Ghent (with a T) has started reasonably well this season and is third with five wins out of nine, six points behind leader Genk (with a K). I’m not sure if there are any other teams in the Belgian league other than these two.

Head coach Wouter Vrancker called this a “special” occasion for his team and they will come in with nothing to lose. Central midfielder Omri Gandelman leads the team with six goals, while former MK Dons striker Max Dean is not far behind with five in all competitions. Captain Sven Kums is one of the few players missing due to injury.

Previously: Ghent (with a T) is a brand new opponent for us, just like the other five teams we are playing against in this competition phase. The last time we faced a team from Belgium was in 2011-2012: Genk (with a K) in the group stage of the Champions League, which we would win that season. Let’s hope this pattern repeats itself!