Chelsea currently find themselves in a bit of a travelling dilemma after their UEFA Europa Conference League group match was rescheduled to a different venue. The Premier League giants were initially set to take on Kazakhstan Premier League side Astana at the Astana Arena. But The Sun reported that the fixture has been moved to the other side of the massive country. The reason behind this sudden change is ongoing renovation work at the 30,000-seater venue. The Conference League fixture will now be played at the Almaty Ortalyk Stadion in Almaty which falls on the Kyrgyzstan border and is 402 km away from China and 770 miles away from the original location.
What makes matters worse for Chelsea is that the fixture is set to take place in December. This means that the London-based outfit will likely have to play in temperatures that will drop below the freezing point. Moreover, the new host stadium also does not have a roof. Hence, the fans will have to face chilly conditions to watch the game.
The temperatures in Almaty, Kazakhstan will likely range from two to minus seven degrees Celsius in December. The aforementioned change in venues is not the only stadium issue that Chelsea are facing this season. The Blues are currently planning to leave their base at Stamford Bridge in hopes of shifting to a larger stadium. The owners of the London-based club are looking to increase the number of seats from the previous 40,343 at Stamford Bridge. Now a report from the Guardian has claimed that Chelsea have already held talks with one of the partners of the site, Transport for London (TFL) and another real estate developer named Delancey.
The Earl’s Court Development Committee (ECDC) currently has plans to build a multi-purpose development on the site in question. A football stadium is not a part of the project yet. A spokesperson representing the committee told The Guardian, “There is no plan within our plans for Chelsea FC to relocate to the Earl’s Court site. We have a fully detailed design, shortly to be registered with both local authorities, which prioritises the delivery of thousands of homes and jobs, culture and open space through a well-designed and considered master plan which has evolved over four years of engagement.”
As for the UEFA Conference League, Chelsea are set to face Gent, Heidenheim, Shamrock Rovers, Panathinaikos and Noah in their remaining group-stage matches.
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