Chelsea have suffered an embarrassing European exit after losing to Estonian side Flora Tallinn in the UEFA Youth League. Last season’s Under-18 Premier League champions were expected to progress comfortably, but they were dealt a shock 3-2 defeat at Cobham on Wednesday afternoon.

Chelsea twice took the lead through Mathis Eboue and Ibrahim Rabbaj, only for Flora to fight back and secure a famous victory. According to The Sun, Xabi Alonso, Cole Palmer and John Terry all watched as Chelsea’s European campaign came to an end.

Chelsea U19s exit UEFA Youth League in front of Xabi Alonso and Cole Palmer

Chelsea’s defeat was even more concerning because several players have already had opportunities to impress at senior level. Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli and Reggie Watson both started against Flora after making their first-team debuts earlier this season. Captain Tayo Subuloye was also involved, having recently trained with Xabi Alonso’s first-team squad.

However, the young Blues failed to deliver when it mattered most. Mathis Eboue gave Chelsea an early lead before a defensive mistake allowed Sander Alamaa to equalise. The winger had also scored twice in the first leg.

Ibrahim Rabbaj was introduced at half-time and needed less than two minutes to restore Chelsea’s advantage, getting on the end of an Eboue cross. Yet the hosts failed to build on their lead, with Marten Kukkonen equalising after some poor defending from a throw-in.

The decisive moment came when Subuloye conceded a penalty after fouling Denis Zotov inside the box. Alamaa stepped up to complete his hat-trick and send Flora through to the next round.

Alonso, Cole Palmer and former Chelsea captain John Terry all watched from the stands, making the result especially disappointing for the academy. The two-time winners have now been eliminated at the first hurdle, while Flora can celebrate one of the biggest results in their history.