Chelsea have been flying high this season in the Premier League and many believe the Blues will be able to get back into the Champions League by finishing in the top four.
If they fail to finish in the top four then there is always the back door – by winning the Europa League.
But after this week’s Champions League games, this second option might just have gotten a bit more tough for Maurizio Sarri’s men.
A fair number of big clubs have failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League and they will now enter into the Europa League.
Clubs like Inter Milan, Valencia and Benfica will all be playing in the second tier of Europe next year but it is the possibility of playing against Napoli that has gotten the Chelsea fans a bit worried.
Napoli is easily one of the best teams who have failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages and surely they will be the top contenders to win the Europa League.
But is there is a possibility of Chelsea coming up against Napoli in the first round of knockout games?
“The 12 UEFA Europa League group-winners and the four best third-ranked teams in the UEFA Champions League group stage are drawn against the 12 UEFA Europa League group runners-up and the remaining third-ranked teams in the UEFA Champions League group stage,” state UEFA’s Europa League rules(as reported by the Daily Star)
Well, it seems Maurizio Sarri will not be coming up against his former club due to how well the Serie A side performed in the Champions League.
But a match against the likes of Inter Milan or Valencia could also be an uphill task for Chelsea.
