Federico Chiesa, among others, was not named to Liverpool’s Champions League squad for 2025/26. It’s not all doom and gloom for the 27-year-old, though, as a reason why he could still play European football this season has emerged.
Because of how brilliantly the Italian, formerly of Juventus and Fiorentina, has started the new season, there was widespread speculation that he would be chosen by Arne Slot and his entourage as the Dutch tactician seeks to prevail at Europe’s top table.
Born and reared in Genoa, Chiesa, who appeared to be on his way out earlier in the summer transfer window, has become a fan favourite among the Anfield crowd, and as a result, fans are disappointed that he has been left out of the squad.
“If Arne Slot and our leadership knew that we wouldn’t include Chiesa in the UCL squad, they should have told him and sent him out on loan or sold him,” a fan said. “This is a World Cup year, and he wants to be a member of Italy’s squad. “It’s selfish, man.”
Chiesa’s Champions League Dream Not Over Despite Being Omitted from Slot’s Squad
Chiesa, who signed from Juventus in the summer of 2024, struggled to find minutes in his first season in England. Overall, he appeared 14 times (for 466 minutes) across all competitions, although only six occasions in the Premier League.
The winger has already appeared three times in England’s top division this season, albeit as a substitute. He even scored his team’s third goal in their season-opening 4-2 win over Bournemouth on August 15.
Despite his obvious skill, he has been left out of Slot’s Champions League squad, with young wonder Rio Ngumoha taking one of the Reds’ 17 non-homegrown player places. But how do these regulations work?
In the Champions League, unlike the Premier League’s homegrown regulations, teams can submit a squad of up to 25 ‘List A’ players and an unlimited number of ‘List B’ players to the competition organisers, UEFA. List A is an eight-man list for ‘homegrown’ players, whereas List B is for 17 players who were not trained locally.
Despite the absence of Chiesa, Liverpool has met their 17-man limit. Jeremie Frimpong, for example, is considered a ‘homegrown’ player because he trained and matured with Manchester City for over three seasons before joining Celtic.
Ngumoha, one of England’s top teens in football, cannot be recorded in the same way. According to UEFA rules, he has not been on Liverpool’s books long enough, having only recently turned 17 – just days after scoring the winning goal against Newcastle United.
According to reports, it was a two-horse fight between Ngumoha and Chiesa, and Slot ultimately chose the former, dealing a significant blow to the Euro 2021 winner, who has 51 caps for Italy since his debut in March 2018.
Fortunately for Chiesa, Slot – widely regarded as one of the top managers in the world – may upgrade his squad, potentially including the Italian, after the league portion of the European extravaganza is complete. However, there is no guarantee Chiesa will be called up.
Chiesa will most likely play a supporting role in the Premier League until the league season is over, serving as a subliminal reminder of his position in Slot’s hierarchy. If he performs well for the reigning Premier League champions, the winger, who has played in Europe, has a good chance of breaking into the squad.
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