Chelsea has discovered their destiny for the 2024/25 play-off in the UEFA Conference League, as they will be up against either FC Braga or Servette to secure a place in the main draw.

Clear and clarified – Chelsea boss Maresca wants Enzo Fernandez saga put to bed.

Chelsea, under the leadership of new manager Enzo Maresca, will be competing for a place in the UEFA Conference League for the 2024/25 season. They will face the loser from the third qualifying round clash between FC Braga and Servette.

Due to their sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season, Chelsea must qualify for the competition through the play-off route. Normally, a sixth-place finish would have secured them a spot in the UEFA Europa League. However, Manchester United’s FA Cup victory pushed Chelsea down to the newly-rebranded Conference League.

Maresca’s tenure at Chelsea has yet to see them play a top-flight game, but their pre-season campaign has been relatively underwhelming. They started with a draw against Wrexham before suffering a 4-1 defeat to Celtic. They managed a victory against Mexican side America, but were then beaten 4-2 by domestic rivals Manchester City.

In the coming weeks, Chelsea will face Real Madrid and Inter Milan before their Premier League season kicks off against Man City on August 18. Just four days later, they will welcome either Braga or Servette to Stamford Bridge for their return to European competition.

On paper, Braga is the strongest side Chelsea could have faced, having dropped down to the Conference League after being eliminated from their Europa League qualifier. Servette, on the other hand, crashed out of the UEFA Champions League preliminary rounds last season.

Chelsea missed out on all European competition last season for the first time in seven years, following a turbulent couple of seasons. They will be looking to make amends after back-to-back defeats in the Conference League final against West Ham United and Olympiacos.

Fiorentina, who suffered those defeats, will also be seeking redemption this season. They will start their campaign against either Ararat-Armenia or Puskas Akademia.

The play-off round ties will take place on August 22 and August 29. The full UEFA Conference League play-off draw includes a number of intriguing matchups, with teams from various paths competing for a place in the group stage.

Overall, Chelsea’s focus will be on securing their place in the UEFA Conference League and putting an end to the Enzo Fernandez saga, which has caused some uncertainty in recent weeks. Maresca will be hoping for a positive start to his tenure and a successful return to European competition for the Blues.