Chelsea legend Ruud Gullit says they must take seriously the Europa League.

Gullit believes victory in the Europa League could do wonders for Chelsea's next generation of stars such as Eden Hazard and Oscar.

"The Europa League trophy is still very important," he said. "Everybody knows that it is a stepping stone for a lot of clubs and for their players. It is important for a player to have that contact with other European clubs.

"I played in it myself and for me it was also a stepping stone. The first year I was with AC Milan we lost against Espanyol in the second round but one year later we won the European Cup.

"It is a major trophy to win, look at Atletico Madrid last year. Winning it put them on the map. If I was still playing I would love to win it."