Isco tries to lead Real Betis to its 1st European title in Conference League final vs. Chelsea
WROCLAW, Poland (AP) — It's been a breakthrough season for Francisco 'Isco' Alarcon with Real Betis, and it could culminate with him leading the Spanish club to its first European title.
The Betis captain could be the one lifting the historic trophy on Wednesday if his team defeats Chelsea in the Conference League final.
'Chelsea and ourselves are two good teams with some great players. The game tomorrow is very important for everybody, but I believe what Betis has is a lot of excitement, and the opportunity to win a first final is something historic for us,' Isco said Tuesday.
The Seville club won the Spanish league in 1934-35, as well as three Copas del Rey — most recently in 2022 — but it is yet to triumph at the European level, where it had never gone past the quarterfinals in any competition.
'Believing is the first step to victory,' the 33-year-old playmaker said. 'It is going to be a very difficult game, but we trust our squad. We have proved that we are capable of beating any team, and we are looking forward to this final and bringing joy to our fans, who have deserved it the most.'
Isco's superb season with Betis earned him a spot back in Spain's national team after a long absence. He was called back to Spain's national team by coach Luis de la Fuente on Monday for the Nations League semifinal against France on June 5 in Stuttgart. He hadn't been with Spain's squad since 2019.
After nearly a decade with Real Madrid, where he won five Champions League titles and three Spanish league titles, Isco returned to his roots in southern Spain, first with Sevilla in 2022-23 and then with Betis, where he has been thriving for the last two seasons.
Betis also has the experience of coach Manuel Pellegrini, who won the Premier League title with Manchester City in 2014 and later was in charge of West Ham at a time when now-Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca was his assistant.
Betis also has a Conference League winner in its squad: midfielder Pablo Fornals, who won the competition with West Ham in 23.
'When you are close to a final,' Isco said, 'you always visualize what might happen, but you have to focus on the game at hand. This is Betis' first final, and it would be a dream to win it, but it will be very difficult.'
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His home is a three-hour flight from Coritiba, so he went home one time every year. 'When he was at Coritiba, he earned $200 per week, so he did not have the money for flights to see his family. Coritiba is one of the coldest cities in Brazil, and when someone says to you at 13 that you have to go over 2,000km from your house, it takes character.' Lovey, the former agent of Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho, set the wheels in motion for the move, but Cunha still had to decide whether to travel even further from his family, to a different continent, while still in his teens. Thalisson said: 'I remember sitting in the stands at the Couto Pereira (Coritiba's stadium) having a chat. He asked me whether I thought he should go. 'He was a bit scared. He wanted to turn professional at Coritiba, but he saw Sion as a huge opportunity. 'We talked about it a lot. It was a decision that could change his life completely, but he also had reservations. We all supported him. Thankfully, everything worked out well.' Thomaz added: 'I remember we were both called into a meeting to renew our contracts and talk about moving up to the senior side. But he didn't sign. It took me by surprise. When I moved up to the first team at Coritiba, I found out he was moving to Switzerland. I think he understood that it was the best option for him and his family.' Advertisement Cunha's impact at Sion was not instant. But it did not take long. The club flew his mother from Brazil for two months to help him settle, taught him French — the local language — and focused intensively on his fitness and defensive understanding. 'Players like Matheus need time to adapt when they arrive in Europe,' said Christian Zermatten, a Sion coach, speaking to Nouvelliste, in 2018. 'He made the effort to learn French quickly. Everything became easier when we were able to speak to him directly.' Typically, Cunha did not stand still. Within a year, he moved on to RB Leipzig, two years later to Hertha Berlin and, after a year in Germany, he was off to Atletico Madrid. Wolves came calling two-and-a-half years ago, and now the biggest challenge of Cunha's career awaits. He can count on support from those who were there at the start. 'Now when I see him play, he maintains some of the characteristics he had here,' said Forner, who was on the Coritiba bench for that Dallas Cup game against United. 'There are things he hasn't lost: he still finishes very well, he still has very good skills in one against ones. But now he understands the game and his positioning is very good.' 'I was at his wedding last year, in Natal,' said Xavier. 'There is a photo of him sitting on my lap. I'm not one of those people who are always pestering; I like to leave him be, because he has a busy life. But we still talk sometimes and I wish him luck before games. 'Last summer, he came back to visit the project. He saw the pitch he used to train on. 'I remember speaking to his mum during a game against Santa Cruz. He must have been 13. I said, 'Lu,' — her name is Luziana — 'Matheus plays like they do in Europe.' She told me she hoped that was a sign. 'When I see him play today, I feel like my work paid off, that it was worth it. I travelled 120km just to watch him play, then had the pleasure of working with him. He makes me so proud. 'He's an example to all of the other kids here — an example of grit, determination and the value of hanging in there. I'm so happy for him.' (Top photos: Barao Xavier and Getty Images)
