Chelsea's return to the Champions League was marked with a tough draw on Thursday. The Premier League champions were drawn alongside Atlético Madrid, AS Roma and Qarabag FK.
Alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea were handed the most difficult draw out of all five English teams in the Champions League this season, but quality should prevail for the Blues.
Reunions Everywhere
There will be plenty of reunions for Chelsea players as Thibaut Courtois will face his old club, Atlético Madrid. Diego Costa, who is now on the outside looking in at Chelsea, has been linked with a move back to Madrid, which makes the matchup all the more interesting. Atlético's full-back Filipe Luís, who spent a season with Chelsea, will also be in line to play against his old side.
Fernando Torres will make the return to Stamford Bridge since leaving in 2014. He was a part of the Chelsea side that won the competition in 2012.
Atléticoassistant manager Tiago will also make a return to Stamford Bridge, where he won a Premier League title and a League Cup.
When Antonio Conte returns to his home country in round three to face Roma, his summer signing Antonio Rüdiger will likely line up against his former teammates. The German spent one season with the Serie A side, helping them qualify for the Champions League last season.
Background
Chelsea and Atlético last met in the 2014 Champions League Semi Final, where the Spanish side won the second leg 3-1 after a 0-0 draw in the first leg. The two sides also met in the 2012 Super Cup in which Atlético rolled to a 4-1 win.
Roma and Chelsea were drawn alongside each other in the 2008-09 Group Stage, where the home side emerged victorious in both meetings. Chelsea edged a 1-0 win in London before losing 3-1 in Rome.
Every team in Group C is located in the capital city of their country (London, Rome, Madrid, Baku).
The first round of Champions League games begin the week of September 12 and 13.