Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay says reaching the Champions League Final has given the club a major boost in revenue but insists it is vital they qualify for next season’s competition to help them cope with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules.
The Blues are struggling to qualify for the tournament via the Premier League as they sit in sixth place, four points off fourth, but they will automatically book their spot if they win the final. Chelsea are still planning to make mass changes to the squad in the summer even if they lift the trophy and Gourlay admits owner Roman Abramovich can’t be relied upon to fund many transfers.
UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules stipulate clubs must spend within their means.
Asked what reaching the Champions League final meant for the club, Gourlay said: “Financially it is a big boost. It helps us continue our investment in the team as we go forward, but we still have the challenge of making sure we are in this competition next year — and that is very important.
“The simple thing is we have to get the club to break even. We have to balance our outgoings with our income. There are different ways of looking at whether it is fair or not, but what it certainly does is focus us clearly on how we run our business.
“But getting it fair across different countries will be challenging for UEFA. We knew the rules were coming in and we’ve been planning our business that way.”
