Here the official Chelsea website recounts in detail the 1997 FA Cup final triumph: the background, the build-up, the balmy afternoon in north-west London that ushered in a new era, and the euphoric celebrations that followed.

Twenty years may have passed but one of the most momentous achievements in our great club’s history will never be forgotten.



The run to the final

At times in the first half of the 1996/97 season, Ruud Gullit’s Chelsea side looked very good indeed. The Dutch maestro assembled a new spine of foreign stars upon taking over, bringing in Frank Leboeuf, Roberto Di Matteo and Gianluca Vialli during the summer and then, in the November, Gianfranco Zola. That quartet complemented existing players such as the captain Dennis Wise, Steve Clarke, Dan Petrescu, Eddie Newton and Mark Hughes, and the result was a team capable of matching anyone on their day.

But consistency was still an issue. Lost leads at home resulting in frustrating draws, and the odd setback on the road meant the Blues were hovering around sixth place when the Cup campaign got underway in the early weeks of 1997.

Having been knocked out of the League Cup at the third round stage, it was apparent the only realistic hope of silverware would be the FA Cup.

It hadn’t been a competition that had treated Chelsea particularly well historically. The club’s solitary triumph had come 27 years earlier, after a replay against Leeds United.