The Blues take our European campaign to a Swiss border city to face fresh opponents. Chelsea are about to play the 12th semi-final in 55 years of European campaigning. It's our 45th time in the last four of a major competition since 1905. Chelsea are appearing in our seventh European semi-final in the 10 years since the arrival of Roman Abramovich and our 18th in all competitions since the owner bought Chelsea.

Basel have never previously reached a UEFA semi-final. Their best effort to date was making the European Cup quarter-final in 1973/74 when they were beaten 6-5 on aggregate by Celtic.

All four of this season's Europa League semi-finalists began their 2012/13 European campaigns in the Champions League. Basel began way back in mid-July against Flora of Estonia in the second qualifying round. Fenerbahçe joined at the third qualifying round stage, while Chelsea and Benfica started in the Champions League in the group stage.

We remain champions of Europe until the trophy is lifted by another team at Wembley on 25 May. Given that the Europa League takes place on 15 May the Blues could conceivably hold both UEFA titles at the same time for 10 days.

There is, as any study of Basel's progress to this stage shows, a long way to go before that can be considered. Murat Hakin's side are three times Swiss Super League champions and have overcome Zenit St Petersburg and Tottenham Hotspur en route to meeting Britain's final flag-bearers.

‘One team in Europe’ is more than mere crowing from the Chelsea supporters, it's also a pointer to the financial and practical advantages of making the latter stages of UEFA competitions.

England's last survivors - for the second season running - stand to benefit in a number of ways, not least the Europa League's financial rewards.

The prize money for Round of 32 is €200,000, the Round of 16 €350,000, the quarter-finals €450,000, and semi-final is €1m. Runners-up in the final stand to gain an extra €2.5m and the winners pocket €5m.

More matches played than our rivals also means a greater share of the English pool of TV money. The bonus to a club rises incrementally each round they progress. One pot (€60m last season) is split between the national associations represented, based on media revenue value (of which England is highest), then split equally between clubs from that country and matches played. A further stash (€30m last year) is allocated on a round by round basis.

With Spurs and Newcastle out, Chelsea's slice of the pool money increases. These are significant funds.

Equally important, extra merit points accrued in the extra matches enhances the Blues' UEFA coefficient - crucial to being top seeds in the group stage draws should we qualify for European competition next season and in the future.

Basel reached the last four by beating 10-man Tottenham on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate tie. Brad Friedel, preferred in goal to Hugo Lloris, was at fault on both Basel goals.

FCB like to consider themselves the little brother of the FCB we beat in last year's Champions League final, Bayern. Their stadium is small and atmospheric - 'English style' as they say over there.
It does not seem 13 years since we last played in Switzerland - a UEFA Cup match against St Gallen in Zurich that mostly evokes bad memories.

However, we travel in hope of a result at St Jakob-Park that is the platform for success on the Fulham Road next Thursday.

On the other side of the draw, Fenerbahçe are also semi-final novices in Europe, although they reached the last eight of the Champions League with Zico in charge five seasons ago - before losing out to Chelsea 3-2 on aggregate.

Benfica, beaten 3-1 at that same stage by the Blues last season, won the European Cup in their heyday of the early 1960s. They have reached six UEFA finals since then and lost them all.


- Match preview by chelseafc.com