Around 500 fans made the mammoth journey from west London to Kazakhstan
Chelsea have assured Uefa Conferene League qualification with one tie to play
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By TAMARA PRENN
Published: 12:52 EST, 12 December 2024 | Updated: 12:52 EST, 12 December 2024
Chelsea fans who have made the journey to watch Enzo Maresca's side face FC Astana in Almaty have been given a touching commerative gift to mark the mammoth journey.
The Uefa Conference League tie in Almaty is the furthest that the Blues have ever travelled for a European game, with the Almaty Ortalyk stadium a staggering 3,485 miles from Stamford Bridge.
The last time Chelsea travelled anywhere near as far for European competition came at the 2019 Europa League final - but Azerbaijan's Baku National Stadium was a mere 3,000 miles from west London.
After arriving at the mid-point of the 7,000 mile trip in Kazakhstan on Thursday, fans were then greeted with temperatures of minus 10 on matchday.
But after a 10-hour - or more - journey from London, supporters who made the journey were also handed a momento to mark the milestone.
Mail Sport reported that the fans were given a commemorative key chain when they collected their tickets the afternoon before the clash.
A hardy number of Chelsea fans made the journey from west London to watch their side's Conference League travails
The club rewarded the supporters with a commemorative keyring in honour of the journey
Captain for the evening Axel Disasi said that it was a 'pleasure' to play for fans willing to make the trek to Almaty
The keyring has not only the distance travelled to the stadium on it, but words from one of the club's most popular chants.
'Over land & sea - Stamford Bridge to Almaty,' the keyring reads.
Maresca and captain for the evening Axel Disasi had been full of praise for the 500 or so fans who made the journey, with the France international saying that it was 'a pleasure' to play in front of them.
'We appreciate it because it is a long flight and the temperature is crazy,' Disasi said on Wednesday evening.
'Again, they show the love they have for us, and as a player it is always a pleasure to feel this (love). So as a player, we will try our best to say thank you.’
Disasi and Co duly did so on the pitch, with the visitors claiming a 3-1 win to book their berth in the final 16 of the competition.
Maresca rang the changes and opted to field a youth-focused starting XI, with young stars Marc Guiu and Renato Veiga spurring the side to victory.