Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has revealed that the club would suffer a 'lost year' if they do not qualify for next season's Champions League.
The fifth-placed Blues are currently five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League table.
"It would be a year lost in the progression of the club," said Cech.
"You always have years when you go through transition and the side needs to be rebuilt. Or you have changes in terms of managers.
"For a big club, you can accept that the team does not win the league because it is in transition, but you cannot afford to slip out of the Champions League spot."
Chelsea, who are the only English side left in this year's competition, travel to Benfica on Tuesday for the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
