Chelsea's UEFA Conference League opponents include club that didn't exist seven years ago

Chelsea have learned which six opponents they will face in the Conference League (Image: Getty)

Chelsea have learned which six opponents they will face in the league phase of their maiden UEFA Conference League campaign, including a club that did not exist seven years ago.

Enzo Maresca's side survived a late scare against Servette in the qualifiers after losing 2-1 on Thursday in Switzerland, as the west London club progressed 3-2 on aggregate.

And less than 24 hours later, Chelsea discovered which teams they would be playing in the revamped European competition, which they qualified for with a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season.

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The Blues will welcome Armenian minnows FC Noah to Stamford Bridge on their first-ever visit to England.

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The Ararat-based club - originally founded as FC Artsakh before rebranding two years later - were only founded in 2017 but finished second in the Armenian Premier Division last term.

They entered the competition in the first qualifying round and beat FC Shkendija and Silema Wanderers on their way to a major upset against AEK Athens.

Chelsea lost 2-1 to Servette but qualified 3-2 on aggregate (Image: Getty)

In the play-off game against FC Ruzemberok of Slovakia, they qualified for the league phase with a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Like many former Soviet nations, FC Noah boast a number of Brazilian and Portuguese players in their squad. But the one-time Armenian Cup winners stay close to their roots too, with the likes of Artak Dashyan and Artyom Avanesyan featuring for the national team.

Their manager Rui Mota is a former assistant of Sporting Lisbon and Braga, and the 45-year-old is winning praise for turning the obscurely-known Armenian side into European surprise package.

FC Noah from Armenia were only founded back in 2017 (Image: Getty) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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Irish club Shamrock Rovers and Gent of Belgium are the other teams that will visit west London in the coming months.

Some tougher tests await Chelsea with away trips to Bundesliga outfit Heidenheim, Greek side Panathinaikos. They will also be forced to make a lengthy journey to Kazakhstan against Astana, who previously beat Manchester United in a Europa League game in 2019.

The order of the fixtures will not be confirmed until Saturday, but Chelsea do know they will get their campaign underway on October 3, 2024.

Chelsea's UEFA Conference Fixtures in full

Gent (H)

Heidenheim (A)

FC Astana (A)

Shamrock Rovers (H)

Panathinaikos (A)

FC Noah (H)

Chelsea's UEFA Conference League opponents include club that didn't exist seven years ago

Chelsea's UEFA Conference League opponents include club that didn't exist seven years ago

Chelsea's UEFA Conference League opponents include club that didn't exist seven years ago

Chelsea's UEFA Conference League opponents include club that didn't exist seven years ago

Chelsea's UEFA Conference League opponents include club that didn't exist seven years ago