Following our fourth-placed finish last season, the Blues now return to elite European football for the first time since 2022/23. It will be our 20th Champions League campaign.

To whet your appetite ahead of the league phase draw, when we will discover which eight opponents we will play, we have delved into the history books.

The focus today is on Chelsea’s iconic Champions League moments – not goals or games, but other incidents that have stood the test of time. They should bring back plenty of happy memories!

Hearing the anthem…

Chelsea 0-0 AC Milan, 15 September 1999

Having navigated past Latvian side Skonto Riga in the third qualifying round, the group stage draw pitted us with AC Milan, Hertha Berlin and Galatasaray. The fixture list conjured up a very special opening game, our first ever in the Champions League proper: AC Milan at home.

At that point, the Italian giants had won the competition five times and were fancied by many to add to their tally. What a special feeling it was, then, to see the Chelsea players lining up at a packed Stamford Bridge and the Champions League anthem playing. Goosebumps, and the start of our love affair with the European Cup.

Taking over Europe…

1999/00

Less a moment and more a mission as thousands of Blues supporters descended on Europe to watch their team during our maiden Champions League adventure.

This was a time when low-cost air travel was becoming more readily available, but still a long way off what we are used to today. So Chelsea fans in their thousands travelled by car, ferry, plane and train to make it to some grand European cities and stadiums - Berlin, Milan, Rome and Barcelona among them - to take over squares, and support Gianluca Vialli’s Blues.

Ciao, Gianfranco!

Lazio 0-4 Chelsea, 4 November 2003

Gianfranco Zola, one of the heroes of our first Champions League campaign, bid an emotional farewell to the club in the summer of 2003 having helped us return to Europe’s top table.

A few months later, in Rome, a new-look Chelsea thrashed Lazio 4-0. The travelling Chelsea supporters, kept in the Stadio Olimpico after full-time as usual for security reasons, had one more treat awaiting them: the emergence of Zola. The Italian had been a guest of Chelsea’s at the game, and John Terry made sure Zola took in the applause from the away end, who could have sung his name all night.

The best we’ve conceded?

Chelsea 4-2 Barcelona, 8 March 2005

It might seem strange to include in this list a goal Chelsea conceded, but the outcome – Chelsea prevailing past Barcelona – means we think it’s worth a mention!

Chelsea surged into a three-goal lead on the night but a Ronaldinho penalty put Barca within one of retaking an aggregate lead. Collecting on the ball on the edge of the box, the Brazilian shimmied left and right from a standing position. As many as four blue shirts were around him waiting for his next move. It turned out to be a toe punt, with barely any backlift, that swerved into the corner of the goal. ‘I didn’t even see it,’ declared Petr Cech afterwards. He was helpless to stop quite possibly the best goal Chelsea have ever conceded.

Where’s Jose?

Chelsea 4-2 Bayern Munich, 6 April 2005

Manager Jose Mourinho was suspended for the next round against Bayern Munich, having been handed a two-game ban by UEFA for comments made following our first-leg defeat in Spain. ‘He is not allowed in the dressing room, tunnel or technical area before and during the match, nor is he allowed to get in contact with his players,’ said a UEFA spokesman ahead of the quarter-final tie.

This being Mourinho, rumours abounded he found a way around these rules by hiding in a laundry basket before and during the first leg at Stamford Bridge so he could address his players. They are rumours he appeared to confirm in an interview in 2019 – but who are we to say…

A snowy Acropolis

Olympiakos 0-0 Chelsea, 19 February 2008

The first leg of our last-16 tie with Olympiakos in 2008, a turgid goalless draw, is best forgotten. But the build-up to the game will not be. Unusually high amounts of snowfall meant Athens was covered white, making one of the world’s oldest and most historic cities even more beautiful.

Frank feeling

Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool, 30 April 2008

As Frank Lampard ran towards the corner flag, kissed his black armband and fell to his knees, tears streamed down his face as he pointed skywards. It was surely the most emotional moment in our Champions League history.

Lampard had just swept home an extra-time penalty in our epic semi-final tie with Liverpool in 2008 and he was remembering his late mother Pat, who had died six days earlier. It was Lampard’s first game back since, and it was a surprise to nobody he still had such a telling impact on proceedings as we advanced to our first Champions League final.

Big Pete’s big moment

Chelsea 1-1 Bayern Munich, 19 May 2012

Didier Drogba himself has said time and again that while he may get plenty of the plaudits for our triumph in Munich, he would not have been in a position to do so were it not for Petr Cech.

Our keeper’s three penalty saves, including the one from Arjen Robben in extra-time, kept our dream alive, and also got Drogba out of jail after he had conceded the spot-kick our former winger couldn’t convert. Cech’s fingertips on Bastian Schweinsteiger’s effort in the shootout gave Drogba the chance to win Europe’s most sought-after trophy. It was only right he ran straight to Cech to celebrate.

That Rudiger block

Man City 0-1 Chelsea, 29 May 2021

Chelsea’s third Champions League final took us to Porto to play Manchester City. To the joy of the 5,000 or so Blues fans present – a limited capacity was permitted as lockdown rules began to ease – we delivered a tactical masterclass to win the big-eared trophy for a second time.

Diligent defending was required too, naturally, and at times it was last-ditch, perhaps no more so than when Antonio Rudiger flung himself in front of Phil Foden’s goalbound shot when the game was goalless. It epitomised Chelsea’s performance.

General admission tickets for Chelsea versus Fulham on Saturday 30 August have already sold out but you can still be at the Bridge by securing a hospitality package. So book your spot now!