Chelsea and the UEFA Champions League history: All you need to know

Premier League giants Chelsea FC won their second UEFA Champions League title after edging past Manchester City in the all-English final in Porto. As a result, the classic question - how many times have Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League? - will now have a different answer.

Chelsea’s 2020-21 campaign, which began under Frank Lampard, saw the Blues pick up four wins and two draws in the group stages of UCL. However, with former Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel in the hot seat, there was a visible change in the side’s performance, and they succeeded in denying Pep Guardiola a UCL crown with Manchester City.

When did Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League?

Chelsea won the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League after beating Manchester City 1-0 at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto. This is the London club's second UCL title, having won it initially in the 2011-12 season.

The Blues' 2020-21 has been far from perfect. After a promising start took a worse turn, legendary player Frank Lampard was relieved from his managerial post. Enter Thomas Tuchel, and the German took the club to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and kept 18 clean sheets, the second-highest by any team. However, the Blues lost the FA Cup final to Leicester City, which perhaps could have sweetened the occasion a bit more than winning club football's holy grail.

Chelsea began the 2020-21 UCL final on a slightly nervous note, as Manchester City came in with their 'pressure' tactics. Furthermore, Brazilian defender Thiago Silva limped off in the 39th minute with a groin injury.

Then, in the 42nd minute, German wonderkid Kai Havertz comes ahead of a scattered City defence to carry Mason Mount's pass past Ederson and slide it into an empty net. The strike, which ended up being the only goal of the fixture, instantly drew parallels to the London club’s 2011-12 semi-final second leg against Barcelona.

🔵 Iconic Chelsea Champions League moments...

⚽️2⃣0⃣1⃣2⃣ Fernando Torres
⚽️2⃣0⃣2⃣1⃣ Kai Havertz#UCL | #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/hTcNOzZWLY

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) May 30, 2021

The Roberto Matteo-coached team scripted one of the most fairytale comebacks in the club's history by overturning a 2-1 aggregate score by 2-3 following goals from Brazilian midfielder Ramires and substitute Fernando Torres' 92nd-minute dash charge that till today is his most significant moment in a Chelsea shirt.

We couldn't forget this 𝙞𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘 goal! 🤩

9⃣ years ago today vs Barcelona 🙌 Fernando Torres pic.twitter.com/BRndMySXEY

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 24, 2021

In the 2011-12 UCL final, Didier Drogba played the hero not once but twice as he cancelled out Thomas Muller's 83rd-minute strike with a towering header in the 88th minute and then scored the winning penalty to secure Chelsea’s maiden UEFA Champions League title. The Blues had won the penalty shootout by 4-3.

How many UEFA Champions League finals have Chelsea played?

Chelsea have played in three UEFA Champions League finals, with their first appearance coming in the 2007-08 edition, where they lost to Premier League rivals Manchester United on penalties.

The 2020-21 UEFA Champions League final was the third instance of an all-English final in the landmark competition, following Chelsea's clash against Man Utd in 2007-08 and Liverpool's meeting with Tottenham Hotspur in 2018-19 at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid. 

Chelsea’s record in the UEFA Champions League

Since their debut in 1999, Chelsea have featured 17 times in the UEFA Champions League. Now, they have won the UCL twice - 2011/12 and 2020-21.

Featured photo: Twitter / Champions League