Chelsea is one of the most successful football clubs in England and Europe. The team has a long history of winning major trophies, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. However, one trophy that has eluded Chelsea so far is the UEFA Super Cup.
What is the UEFA Super Cup?
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football match between the reigning champions of the two major European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. It is typically held at the beginning of the domestic season in August, and serves as a curtain-raiser to the upcoming campaign.
The Super Cup gives the Champions League and Europa League winners a chance to face off in a single match. The competition was founded in 1972, when the first Super Cup match was contested between Ajax, the 1972 European Cup winners, and Rangers, the 1972 Cup Winners’ Cup winners.
The current Super Cup holders are Real Madrid, who defeated Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022 final to lift the trophy for the fifth time in their history.
Chelsea’s Record in the Super Cup
Despite being one of England and Europe’s most decorated clubs in recent decades under Roman Abramovich’s ownership, Chelsea have never won the UEFA Super Cup.
Chelsea have only appeared in the Super Cup final twice in their history:
- In 1998, after winning the Cup Winners’ Cup, Chelsea faced Champions League winners Real Madrid but lost 1-0 in Monaco.
- In 2019, after winning the Europa League, Chelsea faced Champions League winners Liverpool but lost 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Istanbul.
So while Chelsea have won the Champions League twice (2012, 2021) and the Europa League twice (2013, 2019) under Abramovich, they have been unable to add the Super Cup to their trophy cabinet.
Notable Super Cup Wins Chelsea Have Missed Out On
Chelsea’s lack of Super Cup success is highlighted by the fact that they could feasibly have contested it on several other occasions based on their European trophy wins:
- 2013 – After winning the Europa League, Chelsea could have played Champions League winners Bayern Munich in the Super Cup final.
- 2012 – Following their dramatic Champions League win over Bayern Munich, Chelsea could have faced Europa League winners Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup final.
- 2021 – Chelsea’s second Champions League crown could have pitted them against Europa League winners Villarreal in the Super Cup final.
However, as Chelsea did not qualify for Europe through their Premier League finish in 2013 or 2012, they were unable to participate in the Super Cup those seasons. And in 2021, Chelsea lost to Villarreal in the Super Cup final as mentioned previously.
Managers Who Have Tried and Failed to Win the Super Cup with Chelsea
A number of high profile managers have been unable to lead Chelsea to UEFA Super Cup success over the years:
- Gianluca Vialli – The Italian was Chelsea’s player-manager for the 1998 Super Cup loss to Real Madrid.
- Jose Mourinho – Despite winning multiple league titles and cup competitions with Chelsea over two stints, Mourinho was unable to claim the Super Cup.
- Carlo Ancelotti – The Italian oversaw Chelsea’s first Champions League win in 2012 but missed out on the Super Cup that year as Chelsea were ineligible to participate.
- Maurizio Sarri – He led Chelsea to Europa League glory in 2019 but the team then lost on penalties to Liverpool in the Super Cup final.
- Thomas Tuchel – The German coach has reached two Super Cup finals with Chelsea (2021, 2022) but is yet to taste victory, losing to Villarreal and Real Madrid respectively.
Opponents Chelsea Have Faced in the Super Cup
Chelsea have come up against two of European football’s most storied and successful clubs in their two Super Cup appearances to date:
- Real Madrid – The Spanish giants defeated Chelsea 1-0 in the 1998 final thanks to a goal from Predrag Mijatovic.
- Liverpool – The English rivals edged past Chelsea 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the 2019 final. Chelsea goals came from Olivier Giroud and Jorginho.
Real Madrid and Liverpool between them have won the Super Cup 7 times, highlighting the difficult opponents Chelsea have had to try and overcome for their first win in the competition.
Notable Players Who Have Failed to Win the Super Cup with Chelsea
Some of Chelsea’s greatest ever players have been unable to lift the UEFA Super Cup during their time at Stamford Bridge:
- Gianfranco Zola – The legendary Italian forward was part of the 1998 squad that lost to Real Madrid.
- Frank Lampard – Chelsea’s all-time record goalscorer played in the 1998 and 2019 Super Cup defeats.
- Eden Hazard – The brilliant Belgian winger featured in the 2019 loss to Liverpool, which was his final game for Chelsea before joining Real Madrid.
- Petr Cech – Chelsea’s long-serving goalkeeper was between the sticks for the 2019 penalty shootout defeat against his former club Liverpool.
Most Recent Super Cup Appearance
Chelsea’s most recent UEFA Super Cup appearance came in 2021, as mentioned previously.
This was a match between the reigning Champions League and Europa League title holders, as Chelsea had won the Champions League in 2020/21 beating Manchester City in the final, while Villarreal were the Europa League champions for 2020/21 after defeating Manchester United on penalties.
The match was played on August 11, 2021 at Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It ended 1-1 after extra time, with Chelsea goals coming from Hakim Ziyech in normal time and Kai Havertz in extra time. But Chelsea ultimately lost 6-5 in the penalty shootout.
Recent Super Cup Wins Chelsea Have Missed Out On
Here are some recent UEFA Super Cup wins by other clubs that Chelsea could potentially have contested themselves if results had gone their way:
- 2020 – Bayern Munich defeated Sevilla 2-1 after extra time. Chelsea were eligible as 2019/20 Champions League runners up.
- 2019 – Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties. Chelsea could have been defending champions had they won in 2018 final vs Real Madrid.
- 2018 – Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid 4-2 after extra time. Chelsea were eligible as 2017/18 FA Cup winners.
- 2017 – Real Madrid defeated Manchester United 2-1. Chelsea could have qualified by winning 2016/17 Premier League.
This highlights how finding that little bit of extra fortune in key games could have seen Chelsea lift the Super Cup on multiple occasions in recent years.
Are Chelsea Cursed in the Super Cup?
Chelsea’s struggle to win the Super Cup, despite contending it a fair few times, has left some fans wondering whether the club is cursed in this competition.
There does seem to be some bad luck involved – taking the game to extra time and penalties against a strong Liverpool side in 2019, or losing the shootout by the finest of margins against Villarreal in 2021.
And had it not been for winning the 2012 Champions League via their miracle run from seventh place in the Premier League, thus ruling themselves ineligible for Europe the next season, Chelsea could well have celebrated Super Cup success by now.
But the fact remains that Chelsea have simply been outplayed on the day by superior opposition in their two Super Cup finals so far. Therefore, it seems to be a case of misfortune and near misses rather than a genuine curse.
Will Chelsea Ever Win the Super Cup?
Despite having failed to lift the trophy so far, there are plenty of reasons for Chelsea fans to remain optimistic about their future Super Cup prospects:
- The law of averages suggests their time will come eventually if they continue appearing in Champions League and Europa League finals.
- Chelsea’s last two Super Cup losses have been very tight affairs decided late on, suggesting they are edging closer.
- Thomas Tuchel has proven he can set up Chelsea to compete strongly in big European games as shown by their 2021 Champions League win.
- Chelsea’s new ownership appears willing to back the team heavily in the transfer market, giving them an even stronger squad.
Chelsea’s time will surely come soon based on their overall European pedigree. And a first UEFA Super Cup title would be the crowning glory for this successful era in the club’s history.
Key Takeaways
Some key points on Chelsea and the Super Cup:
- Chelsea have never won the competition despite appearing in 2 finals.
- Their finals came in 1998 vs Real Madrid (loss) and 2019 vs Liverpool (penalty loss).
- A Super Cup win has eluded many top Chelsea managers and players.
- Chelsea have missed out on participating in several Super Cups they were eligible for.
- Narrow losses suggest Chelsea could soon break their duck.
- Securing that first Super Cup would cap off an excellent modern era for Chelsea.
Conclusion
In summary, Chelsea are yet to win the UEFA Super Cup despite coming agonizingly close on a couple of occasions. It remains the only major European trophy to have eluded them during the Roman Abramovich era of success since 2003.
The combination of facing stiff opponents and frustrating near misses has prevented Chelsea from lifting the Super Cup so far. But there is no reason to believe that their first title is not on the horizon if they can continue assembling competitive squads under coaches like Thomas Tuchel.
Chelsea fans will be hoping the curse is broken soon and that the club can celebrate Super Cup success to mark the culmination of their modern period as one of Europe’s preeminent teams.