Will Chelsea soon join the new or upgraded stadium craze?

Anybody who has made the trip over to Stamford Bridge—whether it be in your backyard or across the globe—will know that it is one of the finest football grounds in the world. It’s the perfect blend of historic, modern and clean both inside and out. Chelsea as a club has done a wonderful job making sure the ground truly feels like home for not only the players and staff, but also the supporters who help make the club what it is on a day-to-day basis. The stadium is seemingly perfect for the area. It immediately fits into the vibe one gets when stepping off the underground at Fulham Broadway and venturing back upstairs onto the storied streets of SW6.

Nevertheless, the 41,000+ seat stadium pales in comparison to some of its English counterparts. Old Trafford and Anfield have Stamford Bridge beat in history, ‘the wow factor’ and capacity. The Blues’ trophy-less neighbors, Spurs, even have a world class venue in their new home, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Therefore, as Italian giants Inter and AC Milan unveil the plans for their new home—The Cathedral—on the San Siro ground, it’s time to ask the question once again. Will Chelsea join the new or upgraded stadium crazy that is sweeping football clubs off their feet?

Will Chelsea soon join the new stadium craze that is sweeping European football off its feet by upgrading Stamford Bridge?

In 2017, Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea hierarchy had a plan in place to turn Stamford Bridge into a modern footballing mecca. The £1 billion blueprint suggested the Blues rebuild the Bridge into a nicer stadium featuring a more simplistic and fancy exterior. The design sees the outside of the ground maintain the elegant style that its neighboring buildings in SW6 possess. The plans for the upgraded ground have stone beams circling the stadium from every angle, providing more coverage over the pitch than the current structure does. It’s a state of the art architectural design that’d surely make fans forget about the historic ground being renovated.

The plan was also supposed to add around 20,000 seats, bringing the capacity to 60,000, and close the crowd gap between Chelsea and its ‘big six’ competitors. While the Blues’ home since 1905 is still considered a quality venue, the Champions of Europe are lacking behind their direct domestic rivals in terms of capacity. The Bridge has a lower maximum capacity than any of its large English counterparts, as well London Stadium (West Ham), St. James’ Park (Newcastle), Stadium of Light (Sunderland) and Villa Park (Aston Villa).

It is the belief of many around European football that Chelsea needs to up its game and stay up to date in terms of stadium renovations. Stamford Bridge hasn’t seen a recognized, significant renovation since 1998—unless the instillation of safe standing seats counts. Suffice it to say, the Blues are due for some upgrades. However, the plan was put on hold shortly after being given the green light by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Planning and Development Control Committee due to some issues with surrounding buildings. Abramovich’s UK visa expiring and the COVID-19 pandemic in the years following just added to the plan being put on the back burner.

Now, as the Milan duo announces its plan to raze the San Siro and rebuild a literal and metaphorical cathedral, the Blues are one of Europe’s last large dominos that are still standing tall, yet to conform to the new sporting norm. The full extent of Chelsea’s resources are aimed at combatting the Coronavirus and helping the community right now, but don’t fret. Soon, Abramovich and the Blues will likely look to rebuild one of football’s finest old grounds.

What do you think the club will do with the Bridge? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!