Chelsea FC - Statistics & Facts

Turbulent 2021/22 season for the Blues

Having been founded in 1905, Chelsea FC has more than a century of soccer tradition and places eighth in number of Premier League titles, as well as eighth in terms of the revenue of soccer clubs worldwide. Chelsea also ranks as one of the strongest soccer clubs on the pitch and placed third in the 2021/22 Premier League season, after closing out with a 2-1 home win against Watford. This marked their best table finish since winning the league in 2016/17. However, success on the pitch was marred by events off the pitch. Since 2003, the club had been owned by Russian oligarch billionaire Roman Abramovich, leading to a period of massive financial investment and domestic and European success on the field. However, in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the British government placed financial sanctions on Russian oligarchs. With his assets frozen and Chelsea only being allowed to operate under a special licence until the end of the season, Abramovich was forced to put the club up for sale. In May 2022, the club's sale to a new ownership group was approved.

Chelsea FC's financial situation

The club's revenue development shows a steady increase in the past years, with a slight bump in the past two seasons, mainly because of the shortfall in matchday revenue as a result of COVID-19 restrictions in the Premier League. Almost two-thirds of the club's total revenue of 493.1 million euros during the 2021/22 season came from broadcasting deals, while the remainder was commercial income, with matchday revenue accounting for less than two percent of the total. The financial effect of the pandemic can also be seen in Chelsea's enterprise value, dropping from roughly 2.22 billion euros in 2020 to 1.88 billion euros in 2021. Nevertheless, Chelsea has one of the highest paying main jersey sponsors in the Premier League, with mobile provider Three paying an annual 40 million British pounds until 2023 to display its logo on the front of the shirt. Chelsea is currently paying the third highest first-team salary in the Premier League, at 5.3 million British pounds on average per player annually.

Attendance hit by restrictions

Chelsea FC plays its home games at Stamford Bridge, the ninth largest stadium in the Premier League, with a capacity of 40,267 spectators, located in Fulham, London. When it comes to attendance, Chelsea ranked right in the middle during the 2021/22 season, averaging 36,970 spectators, slightly under the league average of 39,650. However, this attendance was also impacted by the club's ownership situation. While Roman Abramovich's assets were frozen in the second half of the season, Chelsea was not allowed to make any profit. This meant that no matchday tickets were allowed to be sold and only existing season ticket holders could attend games.

Chelsea's strong standing

English soccer fans know their stuff - when asked in August 2021 who would win the 2021/22 Premier League, the results of a survey of fans of the big five EPL teams, as well as the general public, closely matched the actual final standings. The majority predicted that Manchester City would win the league, and also placed Chelsea in third, which is where they finished the season. In another survey of fans in August 2021, 'ambitious' and 'internationally recognized' were some of the most common characteristics ascribed to the club.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Feb 29, 2024

Key insights

Total revenue
589m EUR
League titles won by Chelsea
6
Jersey main sponsor
Three
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Revenue of Chelsea FC from 2008/09 to 2022/23, by stream (in million euros)

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Chelsea FC revenue 2008-2023, by stream

Chelsea FC brand/team value from 2011 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)

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Brand/team valuation of Chelsea FC 2011-2022

Average annual first-team player salary of Chelsea FC in the English Premier League in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2014/15 to 2021/22 (in million GBP)

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Average first-team player pay per year of Chelsea in the UK 2015-2022

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