Chelsea roar back to beat Real Betis in UEFA Conference League final
WROCLAW - Chelsea roared back to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Conference League final in Wroclaw on Wednesday, becoming the first club to complete a clean sweep of European trophies.
Manuel Pellegrini's enterprising Betis caught the favourites cold with an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli against a flat-footed and listless Chelsea.
But Enzo Maresca's second-half substitutions injected energy and Cole Palmer changed the complexion of the game in a five-minute spell, setting up Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson to score.
Substitute Jadon Sancho made the game safe in the 83rd minute as the Spanish side faded in their first European final and Moises Caicedo added gloss to the scoreline.
Chelsea are the first club to win the full set of five UEFA club tournaments -- the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup and the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup.
They have also won their first silverware since Todd Boehly's consortium took over from former owner Roman Abramovich in 2022, following an era of unprecedented success for the club.
Boehly was on the pitch at the end, savouring the win that seemed unlikely when Betis were in control in the first half.
Chelsea have ended the season with a flourish after also securing a place in next season's Champions League following a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Maresca, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped Conference League glory would be a launchpad for the club.
"The club have invested lots of money in the last three or four years, so they are also waiting for results," Maresca told TNT Sports.
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