# 1997–98 Chelsea F.C. season

The 1997–98 season was Chelsea F.C.'s 84th competitive season, their 9th consecutive season in the English top flight and 92nd year as a club.

## Season summary

With conceding goals being a major issue last season, Chelsea signed Dutch international goalkeeper Ed de Goey, who proved to be a relative success. Chelsea's only other major signings were young Norwegian striker Tore Andre Flo and Uruguayan international midfielder Gustavo Poyet from Real Zaragoza, who added more goals from an otherwise very defensive midfield. Chelsea were well on course for a top-five finish and success in the European Cup Winners' Cup and the Coca-Cola Cup when manager Ruud Gullit was sacked on 12 February following a dispute with chairman Ken Bates. His job went to 33-year-old striker Gianluca Vialli, who took on the role of player-manager and achieved instant success - within three months of his appointment, Vialli had guided the Blues to glory on the continent and at Wembley. This success gave Chelsea fans hope that the following season could spell the end of their title wait which began in 1955.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 2 | Manchester United | 38 | 23 | 8 | 7 | 73 | 26 | +47 | 77 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Liverpool | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 68 | 42 | +26 | 65 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Chelsea | 38 | 20 | 3 | 15 | 71 | 43 | +28 | 63 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 5 | Leeds United | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 59 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 57 | 52 | +5 | 58 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
* ↑ Chelsea qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup as defending champions. As they were also the League Cup winners, the UEFA Cup berth vacated was awarded to Blackburn Rovers.
* ↑ Aston Villa was rewarded entry to the UEFA Cup through UEFA Fair Play ranking.

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: 1997-98 FA Premier League table

### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
| Ground | A | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | A | A | H | H | H | H | A | H |
| Result | L | W | W | W | W | L | D | W | L | W | L | W | W | L | W | W | W | D | W | D | L | W | L | W | L | L | L | L | W | L | W | L | W | W | W | L | L | W |
| Position | 14 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |

## Results
### FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 4 January 1998 | 3 | Manchester United | H | 3–5 | 34,792 | Le Saux, Vialli (2) |

### League Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 15 October 1997 | 3 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 1–1 | 18,671 | Di Matteo |
| After extra time, Chelsea won on 4–1 on penalties |||||||
| 19 November 1997 | 4 | Southampton | H | 2–1 | 20,968 | Morris, Flo |
| 7 January 1998 | QF | Ipswich Town | A | 2–2 | 22,088 | Le Saux, Flo |
| After extra time, Chelsea won on 4–1 on penalties |||||||
| 28 January 1998 | SF | Arsenal | A | 1–2 | 38,144 | Hughes |
| 18 February 1998 | SF | Arsenal | H | 3–1 | 34,330 | Petrescu, Di Matteo, Hughes |
| 29 March 1998 | F | Middlesbrough | N | 2–0 | 77,698 | Sinclair, Di Matteo |

### UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

| Date | Round | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 8 September 1997 | 1 | Slovan Bratislava | H | 2–0 | 23,067 | Danny Granville, Di Matteo |
| 2 October 1997 | 1 | Slovan Bratislava | A | 2–0 | 13,850 | Di Matteo, Vialli |
| 23 October 1997 | 2 | Tromsø | A | 2–3 | 6,438 | Vialli (2) |
| 6 November 1997 | 2 | Tromsø | H | 7–1 | 29,363 | Leboeuf, Petrescu (2), Vialli (3), Zola |
| 5 March 1998 | QF | Real Betis | A | 2–1 | 31,000 | Flo (2) |
| 19 March 1998 | QF | Real Betis | H | 3–1 | 32,300 | Sinclair, Di Matteo, Zola |
| 2 April 1998 | SF | Vicenza | A | 0–1 | 19,319 | |
| 16 April 1998 | SF | Vicenza | H | 3–1 | 33,810 | Poyet, Zola, Hughes |
| 13 May 1998 | F | VfB Stuttgart | N | 1–0 | 30,216 | Zola |

## First team squad

    Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | NED | Ed de Goey |
| 2 | DF | ROU | Dan Petrescu |
| 3 | DF | NGA | Celestine Babayaro |
| 5 | DF | FRA | Frank Leboeuf |
| 6 | DF | SCO | Steve Clarke |
| 7 | DF | FRA | Bernard Lambourde |
| 8 | MF | URU | Gus Poyet |
| 9 | FW | ITA | Gianluca Vialli |
| 10 | FW | WAL | Mark Hughes |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Dennis Wise (captain) |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Michael Duberry |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Kevin Hitchcock |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Graeme Le Saux |
| 15 | DF | ENG | David Lee |
| 16 | MF | ITA | Roberto Di Matteo |
| 17 | DF | ENG | Danny Granville |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Andy Myers |
| 19 | FW | NOR | Tore André Flo |
| 20 | DF | JAM | Frank Sinclair |
| 21 | MF | ENG | Paul Hughes |
| 22 | FW | ENG | Mark Nicholls |
| 23 | GK | RUS | Dmitri Kharine |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Eddie Newton |
| 25 | FW | ITA | Gianfranco Zola |
| 26 | DF | FRA | Laurent Charvet (on loan from Cannes) |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Jody Morris |
| 29 | DF | ENG | Neil Clement |
| 31 | GK | IRL | Nick Colgan |
| 32 | MF | SCO | Steven Hampshire |
| 33 | FW | ENG | Joe Sheerin |
| 34 | MF | ENG | Nick Crittenden |
| 35 | DF | ENG | Jon Harley |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 30 | GK | NOR | Frode Grodås (to Tottenham Hotspur) |
| 4 | DF | NED | Ruud Gullit (retired) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | David Rocastle (on loan to Hull City) |

### Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | DF | ENG | Stephen Broad |
| — | DF | ENG | John Terry |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | FW | RSA | Mark Stein |

## Statistics

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Premier League | Premier League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Football League Cup | Football League Cup | Cup Winners Cup | Cup Winners Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | NED | Ed de Goey | 42 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ROU | Dan Petrescu | 42 | 8 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| 3 | DF | NGA | Celestine Babayaro | 13 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | NED | Ruud Gullit | 10 | 0 | 0+6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | FRA | Frank Leboeuf | 46 | 6 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 6 | DF | SCO | Steve Clarke | 40 | 1 | 22+4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4+2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | DF | FRA | Bernard Lambourde | 13 | 0 | 5+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | URU | Gus Poyet | 18 | 5 | 11+3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | FW | ITA | Gianluca Vialli | 33 | 19 | 14+7 | 11 | 0+1 | 2 | 2+1 | 0 | 8 | 6 |
| 10 | FW | WAL | Mark Hughes | 39 | 12 | 25+4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3+3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Dennis Wise | 39 | 3 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Michael Duberry | 33 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Kevin Hitchcock | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Graeme Le Saux | 34 | 3 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | ENG | David Lee | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ITA | Roberto Di Matteo | 43 | 10 | 28+2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
| 17 | DF | ENG | Danny Granville | 20 | 1 | 9+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Andy Myers | 17 | 0 | 11+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | NOR | Tore André Flo | 44 | 15 | 16+18 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3+1 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| 20 | DF | JAM | Frank Sinclair | 32 | 2 | 20+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4+1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | ENG | Paul Hughes | 11 | 0 | 5+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | FW | ENG | Mark Nicholls | 24 | 3 | 8+11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | RUS | Dmitri Kharine | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Eddie Newton | 29 | 0 | 17+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 25 | FW | ITA | Gianfranco Zola | 40 | 12 | 23+4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| 26 | DF | FRA | Laurent Charvet | 13 | 2 | 7+4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Jody Morris | 14 | 2 | 9+2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 32 | FW | SCO | Steven Hampshire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | MF | ENG | Nick Crittenden | 3 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | DF | ENG | Jon Harley | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Statistics taken from Archived 20 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Squad details and shirt numbers from and .

## Transfers
### In

* Laurent Charvet - Cannes, loan
* Ed de Goey - Feyenoord, £2,250,000, June 1997
* Gus Poyet - Real Zaragoza, free, June 1997
* Tore André Flo - Brann, £300,000, 1997
* Celestine Babayaro - Anderlecht, £2,250,000, 1997
* Bernard Lambourde - Bordeaux, 1997
* Graeme Le Saux - Blackburn Rovers, £5,000,000, August 1997

### Out

* David Rocastle - Sabah, released, May 1998