admin Chelsea may have booked their place in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals, but it was far from a smooth ride at Stamford Bridge. Despite holding a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg in Warsaw, the Blues suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Legia Warsaw on April 17, 2025 — a performance that left fans booing and captain Reece James visibly frustrated.
After the match, James didn’t hold back, calling Chelsea’s performance “poor” and admitting that the squad may have underestimated their Polish opponents. “We let ourselves down today. Maybe because of the first leg, we thought it would be easy,” he said. “But in Europe, you can’t switch off — every team is here for a reason.”
Legia took an early advantage when Tomas Pekhart converted a penalty, sending a shockwave through Stamford Bridge. Although Marc Cucurella equalized for Chelsea, Steve Kapuadi’s header restored Legia’s lead and kept the Blues nervously looking over their shoulders until the final whistle.
Manager Enzo Maresca echoed James’ sentiments, admitting the team “managed the game wrong” and emphasizing the need for more focus heading into the semi-finals.
The overall feeling among fans and pundits was clear: while Chelsea are still alive in the competition, performances like this will not be enough if they are to lift silverware this season.
Chelsea will now face Swedish side Djurgårdens IF in the semi-finals — but after the fright from Legia, Reece James and his teammates know they’ll need to raise their standards to avoid another European scare.
