Chelsea's point of principle

Eidur Gudjohnsen opted not to travel to Israel

Chelsea managing director Colin Hutchinson claims Chelsea's decision to play Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel was influenced as much as by principle as by commercial considerations.

On Wednesday Chelsea travelled to Israel for Thursday's Uefa Cup first leg, second round game without six players.

Emmanuel Petit, William Gallas, Graeme Le Saux, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Albert Ferrer opted not to go because of security concerns after the 11 September attacks on the United States.

Chelsea captain Marcel Desailly also stayed in England.

But the Frenchman said that that was to allow him more time to recover from an Achilles injury ahead of Sunday's game against Leeds United.

If we had pulled out it would have sent a bad message to European football

Chelsea managing director Colin Hutchinson

If Chelsea had refused to play Hapoel Tel Aviv the club could have risked a Uefa ban.

Such a consequence for Chelsea, with its high wage bill, would have had financial repercussions, not only for this season, but for future ones as well.

The Uefa Cup, while not as lucrative as the Champions League, still provides a steady revenue stream.

Last season Liverpool, in winning the Uefa Cup, claimed prize money of £2m.

Chelsea would have also forfeited income generated from television rights.

Hutchinson did not want Chelsea to set precedent

But Hutchison, while acknowledging the possibility of a ban, argued that if Chelsea had not gone to Israel, then it would have set a dangerous precedent for other clubs.

"If we had pulled out, not only would it have resulted in a ban but it would also have sent a bad message to European football and started the fragmentation of European football.

"If we'd have refused to got to Israel then some clubs may in the future have refused to go to places like Russia or Turkey and that would not have been good."

Logo missing

Hutchinson, who visited Tel Aviv last week, said he was satisfied with the security arrangements.

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Israeli international Ronny Rosenthal is helping the club organise their visit.

Chelsea are flying to Israel on a jet chartered from the Israeli security-conscious state airline El Al.

The players will play in shirts that will be missing the logo of their Arab sponsors "Fly Emirates."

Recently nine Austrian internationals pulled out of their squad rather than travel to Israel for a World Cup qualifier.

That game was later postponed after a plane flying from Tel Aviv to Russia was blown up in mid-air over the Black Sea.

Dutch club Roda JC Kerkrade, who played Maccabi Tel Aviv in another UEFA Cup match in the Netherlands on Tuesday, are due to travel to Israel in two weeks' time.

But Roda coach George Leekens has said that his squad would definitely fulfill the return leg.