Chelsea to rebrand academy teams as Cobham Next Gen

Chelsea Football Club has announced that its academy teams will be rebranded as ‘Cobham Next Gen’ starting from the 2026/27 season. The change will apply to the Under-21 and Under-19 squads managed by head coach Harry Hudson.

The club stated the new identity is intended to better reflect the age profile of the players and the club’s history of preparing young talent for senior football. While the squads will use the ‘Cobham Next Gen’ name for internal purposes and public communications, official registrations for Premier League, Football Association, and UEFA competitions will remain unchanged.

The decision follows a successful period for the academy, including a Premier League 2 title win by the U18s. The rebranding follows a similar model to Manchester City’s previous decision to rename their reserve team the Elite Development Squad to emphasize the link between academy and senior football.