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<p>Market Value: €1.17 billion</p>
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<img alt="Chelsea vs Pafos FC: Liam Rosenior aims to avoid €1.1bn Champions League upset" src="https://tmssl.akamaized.net//images/foto/galerie/liam-rosenior-chelsea-2025-1768473013-187295.jpg" title="Chelsea vs Pafos FC: Liam Rosenior aims to avoid €1.1bn Champions League upset">
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<p><span>©IMAGO</span></p>
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<p>Chelsea has long been seen as a favorite in the Champions League, but head coach Liam Rosenior faces immense pressure to secure a victory against Pafos FC on Wednesday evening at Stamford Bridge. With a fanbase frustrated by the management under the BlueCo consortium, Rosenior is acutely aware that collecting three points is non-negotiable. While he expresses admiration for his squad and his passion for football management, his most impactful statement will be made on the field.</p><br>
<p>This match holds significance not just for its competitive nature but also for the disparity in squad market value—an impressive €1.13 billion difference. Chelsea’s roster, valued at €1.17 billion, boasts stars like Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, and Cole Palmer, whereas Pafos’ squad, worth €30.8 million, features a mix of European and South American players, with merely three Cypriots in their ranks.</p><br>
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<img alt="Chelsea vs Pafos FC: Market Value Comparison" height="629" src="https://tmssl.akamaized.net//images/foto/newsansicht/chelsea-squad-market-value-difference-1768922220-187620.png?lm=1768922238" title="Chelsea vs Pafos FC: Market Value Comparison" width="503">
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<p>Interestingly, this game features the second-largest differential in market value for Chelsea, who previously faced Qarabağ earlier this season and drew 2-2 away. With qualification at stake, and a daunting trip to Napoli on the horizon, Rosenior must ensure his team doesn’t fall victim to an upset.</p><br>
<p>This will be Rosenior's inaugural match in the Champions League, offering him an invaluable chance to make his mark in west London. His predecessors—Graham Potter, Frank Lampard (interim), and Enzo Maresca—each failed to win their first Champions League matches. Potter drew with Red Bull Salzburg, Lampard was outclassed by Real Madrid, and Maresca's side suffered a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich.</p><br>
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<p>Club Comparison</p>
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<p>Premier League</p>
<p>Cyprus League</p>
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<p>€1.17 billion</p>
<p>Market Value</p>
<p>€30.08 million</p>
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<p>First Tier</p>
<p>League Level</p>
<p>First Tier</p>
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<p>€339.15 million</p>
<p>Expenditures 25/26</p>
<p>€2.75 million</p>
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<p>Liam Rosenior</p>
<p>Managers</p>
<p>Albert Celades</p>
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<p><span>Full Club Comparison</span></p>
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<p>Despite the apparent advantage on paper, Rosenior knows that there are no easy matches in the Champions League today. Pafos has already surprised many in their debut season, securing a 1-0 victory over Villarreal and drawing with AS Monaco and Olympiacos. Their only losses came against giants Bayern and Juventus, but the consensus among fans is that Chelsea should triumph at home—then again, upsets are always a possibility.</p><br>
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<img alt="Chelsea Managers' First Champions League Game" height="629" src="https://tmssl.akamaized.net//images/foto/newsansicht/chelsea-ucl-bosses-first-game-1768922367-187621.png?lm=1768922442" title="Chelsea Managers' First Champions League Game" width="503">
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<p>Among the opposition, one familiar face stands out: David Luiz, now 38, who played 29 Champions League matches for Chelsea, including that memorable night in Munich in May 2012, when they won the trophy. Luiz, who was crucial to their defensive lineup that night, is now looking to undermine his former team.</p><br>
<p>Additionally, Pafos features other ex-Chelsea players like Domingos Quina, who spent four years in Chelsea's youth system, and Mislav Orsic, who famously scored the winning goal in a match that marked Thomas Tuchel's last game as Chelsea manager.</p><br>
<p>Given the presence of former Chelsea talent, the significant market value gap, and Rosenior’s first Champions League challenge, this match has the potential for a historic upset on Wednesday. The new Chelsea manager has already impressed by leading his side to a 5-1 victory over Charlton in the FA Cup and securing a gritty 2-0 win against Brentford. Now three games into his tenure, Rosenior has a unique chance to break the trend of his predecessors and secure Chelsea's advancement to the knockout stage.</p>
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