Chelsea have become one of the Premier League's success stories. The London club have flourished since the competition's inception in 1992 and former chairman Ken Bates oversaw a radical redevelopment of their plush Stamford Bridge base. Mid-table mediocrity was the order of the day before Ruud Gullit's appointment as Chelsea boss in 1996 ushered in a new era. The flamboyant Dutchman helped attract a number of world-class players to Stamford Bridge with Roberto Di Matteo and Gianfranco Zola soon becoming heroes in the royal blue jersey. Chelsea's attractive brand of football earned them sixth place in the Premier League in 1997 and FA Cup glory confirmed their improvement. When Gullit departed in 1998, Gianluca Vialli achieved a fourth-place finish and European Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup wins. The big names continued to arrive, including World Cup winners Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps. A third FA Cup triumph was secured in 2000 before Vialli made way for Claudio Ranieri, who soon moulded a competitive side, securing four more top-six placings until his departure in May 2004. A fresh chapter in the club's history was opened with the arrival of new owner Roman Abramovich in summer 2003 as he financed the arrivals of several big-name signings, including Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben and Joe Cole. Champions League-winning coach Jose Mourinho was added to the Chelsea staff in June 2004 and collected his first piece of silverware in February 2005 with victory over Liverpool in the Carling Cup final. And the club's first Premier League title was clinched on April 30, 2005, with three games of the season remaining, to cap an astonishing debut campaign for Mourinho. The following season, Chelsea became only the second club to retain the Premier League crown when they beat nearest rivals Manchester United on April 29, almost a year to the day after their first triumph. In May 2006, Mourinho bolstered an already formidable squad with the club-record signing of AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko. And in February 2007 the Blues won their second Carling Cup in three seasons by beating Arsenal at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Chelsea have developed a reputation as one the game's glamour clubs and Stamford Bridge has become home to some of football's biggest names over the years. The Blues, founded in 1905, were committed to playing attractive football that matched the stylish surrounds of their West London setting, but silverware initially proved elusive. A First Division championship in 1955 stood alone in the trophy cabinet until a golden period in the 1960s and 1970s. The League Cup, FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup were hoisted in a six-year spell before the dawning of the Premier League coincided with another successful era. A losing FA Cup final appearance in 1994 was followed by victory three years later and 1998 alone saw three more trophies - the League Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and European Super Cup. The FA Cup was won again in 2000 and was followed in 2005 with the Barclays Premiership title, meaning the Blues are now associated with both style and success.