Chelsea are just hours away from getting their Champions League campaign underway against Bayern Munich, however have already made a significant amount of money before even taking to the pitch.
Enzo Maresca led the Blues back to the European big time with a top-four finish last season, adding that success to the Conference League victory and the Club World Cup triumph.
Chelsea are the sixth favourites to win the Champions League this season, however face a tough opening fixture against Bayern, a side who decimated them 7-1 across a two-legged affair last time they met in the competition.
One benefit off the pitch of their return to the top level of European competition is the financial benefits, which will be greatly appreciated following their big win in the United States over the summer.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty ImagesHow much Chelsea have made from the Champions League without playing a game
According to The Athletic, the Blues generated around £85m from their Club World Cup win, a number that has already been added to greatly via their presence in the Champions League.
The report goes on to say that just participating in Europe this season has already seen Chelsea bank around £50m.
Winning the final of the competition would add another £21.5m to their finances this season, and recent events at Stamford Bridge will surely add extra inspiration for the Blues to have a strong European campaign.
Photo by Alex Caparros – UEFA/UEFA via Getty ImagesChelsea were sanctioned by UEFA this summer
While Chelsea were on the good side of the line when it came to Premier League PSR rules, things were not the same when it came to the European body.
The Blues were sanctioned by UEFA for breaking financial rules, and they were forced to sell alongside their summer signings in order to meet the guidelines set out by the sanction.
This perhaps explains why they were unable to complete all the additions they were hoping to do. Chelsea were forced to watch long-term target Xavi Simons move to rivals Tottenham.
They were at least able to name all of their signings in the Champions League squad for the group stage phase, including the late addition of Facundo Buonanotte.