Chelsea Football Club is one of the most successful clubs in English football, having won numerous domestic and European honors over their history. One of the trophies they have competed for is the UEFA Super Cup, which pits the winners of the Champions League against the winners of the Europa League. But how many times have Chelsea emerged victorious in this contest between the titans of European football?
What is the UEFA Super Cup?
The UEFA Super Cup is an annual match organized by UEFA that pits the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, against each other. It usually takes place at the start of the domestic season in August, and serves as a curtain-raiser to the upcoming campaign.
The Super Cup acts as a de facto clash between the best teams of Europe from the previous season. The Champions League winners earn their spot as the top dogs on the continent, while the Europa League victors get the chance to prove themselves against elite opposition.
The first edition of the Super Cup took place in 1972, when Ajax defeated Rangers. It was initially contested over two legs between the holders of the European Cup (now the Champions League) and the Cup Winners’ Cup. In 1999, the format was altered to one single match between the Champions League and UEFA Cup (now Europa League) winners.
Real Madrid hold the record for most Super Cup wins, having lifted the trophy four times. Spanish clubs have been the most successful, winning 15 editions total. The competition has been won by 22 different clubs over its history.
Chelsea’s UEFA Super Cup Record
Chelsea have won the UEFA Super Cup on 2 occasions since the competition began in the early 1970s.
Their first victory came in 1998 against Real Madrid. Chelsea had won the Cup Winners’ Cup the previous season, defeating Stuttgart 1-0 in the final under manager Gianluca Vialli. Real Madrid were the reigning Champions League winners. The single-match showdown took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco in front of around 14,000 fans. Despite the gulf in European pedigree between the two clubs at the time, Chelsea prevailed 1-0 through a Gustavo Poyet goal to lift the Super Cup.
Chelsea had to wait over a decade for the chance to win the Super Cup again. In 2013, on the back of their memorable Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich, the Blues were drawn against Europa League holders Atletico Madrid. This time, the match took place at the Eden Arena in Prague in front of just under 11,000 spectators. Fernando Torres, a former Atletico player, scored the opening goal against his old club. But Atletico equalized before half-time through Adrian Lopez. With the game in the balance, Eden Hazard stepped up and converted a penalty in the 93rd minute to seal a dramatic late win for Chelsea.
| Year | Opponent | Score | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Real Madrid | 1–0 | Poyet |
| 2013 | Atlético Madrid | 2–1 | Torres, Hazard |
So in summary, Chelsea have emerged victorious just twice in the UEFA Super Cup. But their wins bookended the trophy successes of one of the club’s greatest ever periods, proving they could mix it with the very best in Europe.
Chelsea’s 1998 Super Cup Win
Chelsea’s first UEFA Super Cup win in 1998 remains one of the most memorable nights in the club’s history. Under Italian manager Gianluca Vialli, the Blues had announced themselves on the European stage by winning the Cup Winners’ Cup, beating Stuttgart 1-0 in the final.
This qualified them for the Super Cup, where they would face Champions League winners Real Madrid. The Spaniards were the dominant force in European football, having won the first five editions of the Champions League from 1956 to 1960. Despite their inferior pedigree, Chelsea managed to pull off a shock 1-0 win against the kings of the continent.
The match took place on Tuesday, August 28 at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. Chelsea went into the game as considerable underdogs, with Real Madrid boasting a team packed with world class talent like Raul, Roberto Carlos and Clarence Seedorf. The Blues, meanwhile, named a starting eleven largely made up of less illustrious names like Dan Petrescu, Frank Lebouef and Gustavo Poyet.
In the 24th minute however, gegenpressing from Chelsea forced a turnover deep in the Real Madrid half. Lebouef poked the ball through to Poyet, who kept his composure to slot a left-footed finish past the goalkeeper. This proved enough for Chelsea to cling on to the slender lead, with manager Vialli incensed on the touchline urging his players to defend with their lives.
Wave after wave of Real pressure followed but Chelsea managed to hold firm with some heroic last ditch defending. The final whistle sparked jubilant scenes among the Blues’ players and fans when it finally came.
Chelsea had announced their arrival on the European stage by defeating one of the continent’s elite clubs for their first Super Cup win. It gave them belief that they could compete with the very best teams and signaled the start of a hugely successful period for the club.
Match Details
Date: 28th August 1998
Venue: Stade Louis II, Monaco
Attendance: 13,824
Lineups:
Chelsea (4-4-2): de Goey; Petrescu, Duberry, Lebouef, Le Saux; Di Matteo (Hutchison 46′), Wise, Poyet, Flo (Goldbaek 46′); Zola, Sutton (Newton 75′).
Real Madrid (4-4-2): Buyo; Panucci (Mihajlovic 46′), Hierro, Sanchis, Roberto Carlos; Seedorf, Redondo, Raul, Karembeu (Amavisca 83′); Suker, Savio (Mijatovic 75′).
Goalscorers:
Chelsea – Poyet 24′
A heroic defensive performance saw Chelsea defy the odds to record a famous 1-0 victory over Real Madrid and lift their first UEFA Super Cup.
Chelsea’s 2013 Super Cup Win
In 2013, Chelsea won their second UEFA Super Cup defeating Europa League champions Atletico Madrid 2-1 in a tightly contested match.
This Super Cup encounter was held at the Eden Arena in Prague on August 30. Chelsea had qualified by virtue of their dramatic Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich the previous season. Fernando Torres, who had scored the goal that sealed that win, started up front alongside Andre Schurrle.
Atletico proved stubborn opposition though and went into half-time level after Adrian Lopez canceled out Torres’ early opener. With extra-time looming, Eden Hazard won a penalty in the 93rd minute which he emphatically converted to win Chelsea the trophy.
It was another European trophy for the Blues during a period of unprecedented success for the club. They had won the Champions League, Europa League and now Super Cup over the previous two seasons.
The win also provided sweet revenge for the 2012 Super Cup, when Atletico had inflicted a crushing 4-1 defeat on Chelsea.
Match Details
Date: 30th August 2013
Venue: Eden Arena, Prague
Attendance: 10,400
Lineups:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole (Bertrand 83′); Lampard, Ramires; Hazard, Oscar (Mikel 105′), De Bruyne (Schurrle 61′); Torres.
Atletico Madrid (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Luis; Rodriguez, Tiago (Garcia 46′); Koke, Raul Garcia (Villa 87′), Turan (Cebolla 84′); Adrian.
Goalscorers:
Chelsea – Torres 60′, Hazard 93′ (pen)
Atletico – Adrian 45′
Eden Hazard’s late penalty secured Chelsea’s comeback 2-1 win against Atletico Madrid to lift the UEFA Super Cup.
Conclusion
In summary, Chelsea have won the UEFA Super Cup on 2 occasions in 1998 and 2013. Their first win came against Champions League kings Real Madrid, while the second was a dramatic late victory over Atletico Madrid.
Both wins came during highly successful periods for Chelsea, proving they could compete with Europe’s elite. The Blues have lifted every major UEFA club trophy at some point, with the Super Cup wins being further evidence of the club’s pedigree.
Chelsea supporters will be hoping that the team can add to their Super Cup tally if they manage to win the Champions League or Europa League again in the coming seasons.
