What Chelsea have awarded to fans making the 7,000-mile round trip to Astana for UEFA Conference League clash

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Chelsea fans are having their commitment levels tested in the UEFA Conference League.

After a short trip across London to watch the 4-3 win over Tottenham on Sunday, those who follow the Blues home and away are now having to endure a 7,000-mile round trip to Kazakhstan for the UEFA Conference League clash against Astana, where temperatures are currently around -11C.

Those making the journey to Kazakhstan’s capital city obviously love the Blues dearly – and Chelsea have now set aside a special gift to these particular supporters.

Chelsea present fans with keepsake ahead of UEFA Conference League clash against Astana

As revealed by Kieran Gill – Chelsea correspondent for the Daily Mail – fans making the trip are being given a silver keepsake when going to collect their tickets.

The keyring has the Chelsea badge adorning it, along with the message: “Over land and sea. Stamford Bridge to Almaty. 3485 miles.”

It is not much, although it is still nice to see Chelsea, who could field many young talents, acknowledge the commitment of these travelling supporters ahead of what is a quite unique away day – to say the least.

Enzo Maresca has created a vibrant atmosphere as Chelsea restore goodwill with fans

The 2024/25 campaign so far has been a stark contrast to the events of last season.

Todd Boehly angered fans back in February with the introduction of a £5,000 ticket behind the dugout, prompting Dom Rosso of the Chelsea's Supporters' Trust to state: “£5,000 is an alarming amount to spend on a ticket and is totally unaffordable for your average football supporter – it is really poor that these influential seats behind the bench are being filled by corporate visitors.

“More and more general admission seats at Stamford Bridge are being made unavailable and have been transferred to Club Chelsea – many fans feel like the club is prioritising its Club Chelsea guests over loyal supporters.”

Coupled with poor results on the pitch, the fanbase was far from happy, although Boehly has made huge strides in this respect with the bold appointment of Enzo Maresca – who admires Nicolas Jackson – while the keepsake ahead of the UEFA Conference League clash proves supporters are now being considered in some capacity.