During the 1996–97 English football season, Chelsea competed in the FA Premier League.
Season summary With Glenn Hoddle leaving to become England manager, Chelsea gave the managerial role to midfielder Ruud Gullit. Gullit would use his continental connections to bring in world-class international players such as France center-back Frank Leboeuf, and Italian superstars such as midfielder Roberto Di Matteo, Parma's playmaker Gianfranco Zola and the Champions League winning striker and Juventus captain Gianluca Vialli. Gullit had a dream start to his managerial career as Chelsea won the FA Cup with a 2–0 win over Middlesbrough, ending Chelsea's 26-year trophy drought and making him the first foreign manager and first black manager to win a major trophy with an English club.
Zola was voted FWA Footballer of the Year after a brilliant first season at Stamford Bridge in which he scored 12 goals and contributed many assists, while fellow countryman and record £4.5 million signing Roberto Di Matteo scored one of Chelsea's goals in the triumphant Wembley final.
The club suffered a tragedy in late October when director Matthew Harding was killed in a helicopter crash in Cheshire when returning home from the club's League Cup exit at Bolton.
Final league table
Results summary
Results by round
Results Premier League DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers18 August 1996 SouthamptonA0–015,18621 August 1996 MiddlesbroughH1–028,272Di Matteo24 August 1996 Coventry CityH2–025,024Leboeuf, Vialli4 September 1996 ArsenalA3–338,132Leboeuf (pen.), Wise, Vialli7 September 1996 Sheffield WednesdayA2–030,983Burley, Myers15 September 1996 Aston VillaH1–127,729Leboeuf21 September 1996 LiverpoolA1–540,739Leboeuf (pen.)28 September 1996 Nottingham ForestH1–127,673Vialli12 October 1996 Leicester CityA3–120,766Di Matteo, M. Hughes, Vialli19 October 1996 WimbledonH2–428,020Minto, Vialli (pen.)26 October 1996 Tottenham HotspurH3–128,373David Lee (pen.), Gullit, Di Matteo2 November 1996 Manchester UnitedA2–155,198Duberry, Vialli16 November 1996 Blackburn RoversH1–127,229Petrescu23 November 1996 Newcastle UnitedH1–128,401Vialli1 December 1996 Leeds UnitedA0–232,6717 December 1996 EvertonH2–228,418Zola, Vialli15 December 1996 SunderlandA0–319,68321 December 1996 West Ham UnitedH3–128,315Zola, M. Hughes (2)26 December 1996 Aston VillaA2–039,339Zola (2)28 December 1997 Sheffield WednesdayH2–227,467Zola, M. Hughes1 January 1997 LiverpoolH1–028,329Di Matteo11 January 1997 Nottingham ForestA0–228,35818 January 1997 Derby CountyH3–128,293Leboeuf (pen.), Wise, P. Hughes1 February 1997 Tottenham HotspurA2–133,027Campbell (o.g.), Di Matteo22 February 1997 Manchester UnitedH1–128,336Zola1 March 1997 Derby CountyA2–318,039Leboeuf, Minto5 March 1997 Blackburn RoversH1–125,784Minto12 March 1997 West Ham UnitedA2–324,502Vialli, Zola16 March 1997 SunderlandH6–224,027Sinclair, Petrescu, Di Matteo, Zola, M. Hughes (2)19 March 1997 SouthamptonH1–028,079Zola22 March 1997 MiddlesbroughA0–129,8115 April 1997 ArsenalH0–328,1829 April 1997 Coventry CityA1–319,917P. Hughes16 April 1997 Newcastle UnitedA1–336,320Burley19 April 1997 Leicester CityH2–127,723Minto, M. Hughes22 April 1997 WimbledonA1–014,601Petrescu3 May 1997 Leeds UnitedH0–026,27711 May 1997 EvertonA2–138,321Di Matteo, Wise
League Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 18 September 1996 R2BlackpoolA4–19,666Petrescu, Morris, Spencer, M. Hughes 25 September 1996 R2BlackpoolH1–311,732Spencer 22 October 1996 R3Bolton WanderersA1–216,867Minto
FA Cup DateRoundOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 4 January 1997 R3West Bromwich AlbionH3–027,446Wise, Zola, Burley 26 January 1997 R4LiverpoolH4–227,950M. Hughes, Zola, Vialli (2) 16 February 1997 R5Leicester CityA2–219,125Di Matteo, M. Hughes 26 February 1997 R5 (R)Leicester CityH1–0 26,053Leboeuf (pen.) 9 March 1997 QFPortsmouthA4–115,701Wise (2), Zola, M. Hughes 13 April 1997 SFWimbledonN3–032,674M. Hughes (2), Zola 17 May 1997 FMiddlesbroughN2–079,160Di Matteo, Newton
First team squad Squad at end of season
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Statistics
Statistics taken from . Squad details and shirt numbers from and .
Transfers
In #PosPlayerFromFeeDate9FW Gianluca Vialli Juventus Free 24 May 199616MF Roberto Di Matteo Lazio £4,900,000 1 July 19965DF Frank Leboeuf Strasbourg £2,500,000 1 July 199630GK Frode Grodås LSK Free 1 November 199625FW Gianfranco Zola Parma £4,500,000 8 November 199628DF Danny Granville Cambridge United £300,000 20 March 1997 DF Celestine Babayaro Anderlecht £2,250,000 21 April 1997
Out #PosPlayerToFeeDate FW Zeke Rowe Peterborough United Free 4 July 1996 MF Muzzy Izzet Leicester City £650,000 8 July 1996 MF Ritchie Hanlon Southend United Free 10 July 1996 FW Paul Furlong Birmingham City £1,500,000 17 July 1996 DF Anthony Barness Charlton Athletic £165,000 1 August 1996 MF Russell Kelly Darlington Free 16 August 1996 FW John Spencer QPR £2,500,000 21 November 1996 MF Gavin Peacock QPR £800,000 23 December 1996 DF Terry Phelan Everton £850,000 30 December 1996
Transfers in: £14,450,000 Transfers out: £4,965,000 Total spending: £9,485,000
References
Hockings, Ron. 100 Years of the Blues: A Statistical History of Chelsea Football Club. (2007)