September 5th 2024.
Chelsea have announced their Europa Conference League squad, and there are some notable names missing. One of them is Cole Palmer, who has been a key player for the Blues in the past year. Along with Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana, he has been left out of the squad that will compete in Europe's third-tier competition this season.
The decision to exclude these players comes after a disappointing campaign under former manager Mauricio Pochettino. Chelsea's reserve team, led by Enzo Maresca, secured their spot in the group stages with a tense 3-2 aggregate win over Servette last week. However, it seems that the club is being cautious with their young players, especially Palmer, who has recently become a senior international for England.
Fofana and Lavia, on the other hand, have had a difficult year due to injuries. Maresca wants to take a careful approach with them and not rush them back into action. The club also has the option to make three changes to their squad for the knockout phase, assuming they qualify, before the deadline on February 6, 2025.
This summer has been full of changes for Chelsea, both on and off the pitch. One significant change was announced on Thursday, with the departure of chief executive Chris Jurasek. He will be replaced by Jason Gannon, and Jurasek will return to Clearlake Capital, the co-controlling owners of Chelsea, after just over a year in the role.
Speaking about his time at the club, Jurasek said, "I am incredibly proud to have led this historic football club into its next chapter. We have accomplished the task of building a team both on and off the pitch that means the club is well-positioned for long-term success."
During his tenure, Jurasek made some decisions that were met with criticism from Chelsea's loyal fan base. These include referring to them as customers instead of fans and ending the bus subsidy for away supporters. He also implemented the first general admission season ticket price increases in over a decade.
Moving on to the Europa Conference League opponents, Chelsea will face Gent, Heidenheim, Astana, Shamrock Rovers, Panathinaikos, and Noah in the group stages. As for the squad, there are some familiar names, such as goalkeeper Sanchez, defenders Disasi and James, and forwards Neto and Felix. However, there are also some new faces, like midfielder Chukwuemeka and forward Guiu.
It remains to be seen how Chelsea will perform in the Europa Conference League, but their fans will be hoping for a successful campaign under the guidance of Maresca. After all, the club has a history of lifting trophies, and they will surely want to add another one to their collection.
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