The decision comes after Chelsea's successful campaign in the 2024-25 season under new manager Enzo Maresca. Maresca led the team to Champions League football and the Europa Conference League title, and also won the FIFA Club World Cup by defeating current European champions PSG 3-0 in the final.

Chelsea's fans had been critical of Maresca's performance at times during the season, but he ultimately proved himself to be a successful manager by guiding the team to several trophies.

The team's pre-season plans were announced on Chelsea's official website, which stated that they would be staying in the UK for training and friendlies due to their busy schedule in the USA for the FIFA Club World Cup.

Chelsea will face Bayer Leverkusen on August 8th and AC Milan two days later as they prepare for the 2025-26 season.