Chelsea Make History With Conference League Triumph, Win All European Trophies

News18

29-05-2025

Last Updated:
Chelsea became the first club to win all five UEFA trophies after clinching the Conference League trophy with a 4-1 victory over Real Betis.
Chelsea surged back to defeat Real Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Conference League final held in Wroclaw on Wednesday, becoming the first club to achieve a clean sweep of European trophies.
Manuel Pellegrini's dynamic Betis surprised the favourites with an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli, capitalising on a sluggish Chelsea side.
However, Enzo Maresca's second-half substitutions brought energy, and Cole Palmer transformed the game within five minutes, assisting Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson to score.
Substitute Jadon Sancho secured the victory in the 83rd minute as Betis, in their first European final, weakened, and Moises Caicedo added the final touch to the scoreline.
Chelsea is the first club to win all five UEFA club tournaments: the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup, and the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup.
This marks their first silverware since Todd Boehly's consortium took over from Roman Abramovich in 2022, following an era of unprecedented success for the club.
Boehly celebrated on the pitch, savouring the win that seemed improbable when Betis controlled the first half.
Maresca, in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, expressed hope that the Conference League victory would be a starting point for the club.
'The club has invested heavily in the last few years, so they are also anticipating results," Maresca told TNT Sports. 'Hopefully, this can be a launchpad for building something significant."
Betis went ahead in the ninth minute through Ezzalzouli, who scored the decisive goal against Fiorentina to reach the final.
Malo Gusto lost possession, allowing Betis captain Isco to deliver a clever pass to Ezzalzouli, who drilled a left-footed shot across Filip Jorgensen.
Minutes later, Marc Bartra attempted a long-range shot, but Jorgensen made a spectacular save.
Encouraged by their enthusiastic fans, Betis nearly scored again when Johnny Cardoso's shot from inside the box was deflected behind.
Despite enjoying most of the possession, Chelsea struggled to create meaningful chances, with Betis defending well and Isco, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, dictating play.
Maresca replaced Gusto with James at the break, which revitalised Chelsea.
Pellegrini was forced to substitute Ezzalzouli with Jesus Rodriguez.
Maresca made several other changes, including bringing on Sancho, but Palmer's brilliance changed the course of the match.
Palmer's precise inswinging cross from the right found Fernandez, who headed the ball past Adrian in the 65th minute.
Chelsea's momentum surged, and their fans roared with excitement.
Five minutes later, Palmer delivered another superb cross that Jackson bundled into the net.
Jackson missed a second goal due to a heavy touch, allowing the Betis goalkeeper to gather.
Sancho combined with fellow substitute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to make it 3-1, and Caicedo added a fourth from the edge of the box.
Chelsea's victory ends an impressive streak of Spanish team wins. In the last 27 men's finals involving Spanish teams, all had Spanish winners, with Spanish club sides only defeated by fellow La Liga teams.
Earlier, the center of Wroclaw was filled with fans from both clubs, with Betis supporters outnumbering Chelsea fans.
Poland's Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak reported that police made 28 arrests following clashes in the city's market square.
Location :
Wroclaw
First Published:
May 29, 2025, 07:05 IST
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