Chelsea have officially qualified for the Champions League

Nizaar Kinsella

Chelsea have officially qualified for the Champions League image

Chelsea have qualified for next season's Champions League after a 3-0 win at Everton on Sunday afternoon following a year of no European football.

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Pedro's stunning goal set Chelsea on their way at Goodison Park as they earned more than the point they needed to clinch a return to the Champions League.

Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink's Chelsea failed to secure any European football last season after a disastrous season saw the Blues finish in 10th place only a year after winning the title. 

Chelsea remain favourites to win the Premier League title but Roman Abramovich's minimum expectation for his side this season was to qualify for the Champions League again. 

Qualification is financially important for Europe's top clubs and Chelsea will compete for a share of the €1.3 billion prize fund for clubs. Chelsea will earn a least €12.7 million from UEFA for their participation next season, but that could rise to a maximum of €57.2 million if they win the competition. 

Chelsea will also stand to earn more from the commercial and marketing side of the game for their qualification, with the aforementioned fees including just the TV and prize money on offer. 

They follow the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and FC Basel in qualifying for the Champions League. Meanwhile, Everton have qualified for the Europa League after West Brom and Southampton failed to win this weekend. 

Nizaar Kinsella

Nizaar Kinsella Photo

Nizaar Kinsella is a Chelsea correspondent with experience covering international football at the World Cup and European Championships. He is a trusted voice within the Chelsea community, attending almost every game and having spent many years doing so. Coverage on Goal.com has seen him invited onto CNN, BBC Radio 5 Live, TalkSport and BeINSports to comment on the turbulent world of the Stamford Bridge club. He previously worked for the Daily Mirror and BBC Radio Manchester, as well as a period working in the UK charity sector.