The appointment of
Glenn Hoddle as Chelsea's new player-manager was awaited with much optimism for the new season, as previous managers had not been able to secure anything better than mid-table finishes in the three previous seasons. However, as the 1993–94 season lagged away, it looked as though Hoddle's appointment had done little to boost Chelsea's mediocre fortunes as they hovered around the middle of the Premier League. In the end, they finished 14th - three places lower than last season, but an appearance in the
FA Cup final meant that they would be qualifying for the
European Cup Winners' Cup whether they won or not, as their opponents
Manchester United had already won the Premier League title and qualified for the
European Cup. As the players entered the dressing rooms for half-time at
Wembley, the scoreline was 0–0, but Chelsea's dream was shattered in the second half as United scored four goals to win 4–0, but at least Chelsea would be playing in Europe next season for the first time in over 20 years. The wait for a major trophy, however, entered its 24th season. Striker
Mark Stein was added to the squad in mid-season, and quickly proved himself to be a competent Premier League goalscorer after impressing in the lower leagues. Pre-season signings
Gavin Peacock was also impressive. Hoddle bolstered his squad for 1994–95 by signing
David Rocastle from
Manchester City in a bid to strengthen the midfield following
Andy Townsend's mid-season move to
Aston Villa. ==Final league table==