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Chelsea have established themselves as one of the biggest clubs in the English top flight and Europe with their success in the 21st century. The Blues have won the Premier League five times and conquered Europe twice since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003.
Chelsea's last UEFA Champions League title came last campaign, following their 1-0 win against Manchester City in the finals. Thomas Tuchel's men have started this campaign in similarly ruthless fashion and remain at the top of the Premier League.
Even before the takeover, Chelsea had a strong presence in the English top flight and won numerous trophies over the years. They have enjoyed some memorable moments at Stamford Bridge in their illustrious history. They have seen some of the world's finest footballers don their famous blue kits.
Roman Abramovich has injected a lot of financial muscle since the takeover. The glamor and success have multiplied but the Premier League giants have always had a lot of attraction across the globe.
On that note, let's take a look at five interesting facts about Chelsea you probably didn't know:
#5 Ken Bates bought Chelsea for £1 in 1982
In 1982, businessman Ken Bates bought Chelsea for just £1. The Blues were drowning in financial debt at the time and their survival was at stake. The club were even unable to pay the players until Bates decided to bail them out of grave danger.
Ken Bates took over the club with debts around £1.5 million for a paltry amount of £1. The deal helped Chelsea revive themselves and establish themselves as one of the Premier League's biggest clubs.
Although Chelsea were once again in financial crisis, Roman Abramovich came forward to take charge of the club.
#4 Chelsea, along with Arsenal, were the first clubs to don numbered kits
Chelsea took a giant step forward by donning numbered kits at an age when it was unheard of. The Premier League giants first wore numbered kits during their match against Swansea City back in 1928. They became the first clubs, along with Arsenal, to initiate the tradition of numbered kits.
At the time, it was a big deal for clubs to use numbered kits. The numbered kits became standard over a decade later in 1939, which shows how the Blues were ahead of their time. The numbered kits helped players get more recognition while also making it easier for the fans.
#3 First English club to win all four European trophies
Chelsea are the first club from the English top flight to win UEFA's four major European trophies. European success is arguably the hardest mountain to climb in club football. Modern giants like Manchester City and PSG can definitely attest to that fact.
Chelsea are the first English club to win the European Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup.
The Blues were crowned champions of the European Cup Winners' Cup back in 1971 when they defeated Real Madrid. Their first Champions League title came in 2012 followed by a Europa League triumph in 2013.
Chelsea have won all four major European trophies twice, the first team in the history of football to do so.
#2 Stamford Bridge is not owned by the Chelsea board
Chelsea's home, Stamford Bridge, is interestingly not owned by the club but it is owned by the fans. Chelsea Pitch Owners PLC (CPO) holds a freehold on the ground and naming rights of Stamford Bridge.
The organization, with more than 21,000 shares owned by fans, is adamant about holding ownership rights to the stadium. The organization was founded back in 1992 by former owner Ken Bates to ensure that Chelsea fans continue to watch their matches at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea Pitch Owners leases the stadium to the Blues so that the club can maintain the stadium and do all that is necessary to preserve its heritage.
#1 Longest unbeaten run at home in English top flight - 86 matches
Chelsea's unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge in the league is the kind of record which might not get repeated or broken in the future. Arsenal's invincibles achieved immortality with their sensational unbeaten run to a league triumph in the 2003-04 season. But Chelsea had a record of their own of remaining unbeaten in 86 league matches.
A whopping unbeaten run of 86 games at their own home started in 2004. It continued for four years until the Blues tasted a league defeat in 2008 against Liverpool. Although few coaches took charge of Chelsea during this tenure, the plaudits must go to Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho won two consecutive Premier League titles during his first stint, making Chelsea invincible at home. All good things must come to an end. The record was previously held by Liverpool and the Reds was the team who defeated Chelsea to stop their unbeaten run.
