Latest news with #EnzoMaresca
Business Upturn
24 minutes ago
- Sport
- Business Upturn
Europa Conference League: Chelsea beat Real Betis by 4-1 in the finals; Becomes the first team to reach this milestone
Chelsea have defeated Real Betis in the finals of the Europa Conference League by 4-1. By Ravi Kumar Jha Published on May 29, 2025, 08:30 IST Chelsea have defeated Real Betis in the finals of the Europa Conference League by 4-1. The trophy has been secured by Enzo Maresca's men and they deserved to lift the title with their performances throughout the season. Betis who gave their heart in this league was not able to clinch the trophy in the end. Despite leading by 1-0 in the whole first half, Betis couldn't capitalise later on. Chelsea scored 4 in the second half starting with Enzo Fernandez's goal. Other scorers for Chelsea were Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Caicedo. Chelsea have been crowned UEFA Europa Conference League champions after a stunning 4-1 comeback victory over Real Betis in the final. Enzo Maresca's men delivered a dominant second-half performance to secure their first major European trophy since 2021. Real Betis started brightly and were rewarded with an early goal, maintaining their 1-0 lead throughout the first half. The Spanish side fought with heart and spirit, but Chelsea came out roaring after the break. Enzo Fernández opened the floodgates with a clinical finish to level the scoreline. What followed was a relentless Chelsea attack, as Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Moisés Caicedo added their names to the scoresheet to seal a memorable win. It was a well-deserved triumph for the Blues, who remained consistent and focused throughout the tournament. While Betis fell short at the final hurdle, their journey to the final was commendable. Ravi kumar jha is an undergraduate student in Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Mass Communication. A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication and he also has a genuine interest in sports. Ravi is currently working as a journalist at
The National
34 minutes ago
- Business
- The National
Europa Conference League win can be 'starting point' for Chelsea, says Maresca
Enzo Maresca says Chelsea's emphatic Europa Conference League final victory over Real Betis can serve as a launchpad for a new era of success at Stamford Bridge, following the club's turbulent spell since their last Premier League title in 2017. The Blues came from behind in Wroclaw to win 4-1, lifting their first European trophy since the 2021 Uefa Champions League. Cole Palmer was the architect of the comeback, supplying assists for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson before late goals from Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo sealed a convincing win. Having secured Champions League qualification with Sunday's Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest, Maresca hailed the midweek triumph as further proof that his youthful squad is capable of challenging for major honours once again. 'Hopefully it can be a starting point to build a winning mentality,' said Maresca. 'You need to win games, you need to win competitions. And for sure, the trophy we won tonight is going to make us better.' Maresca, 44, took charge of Chelsea last summer in what was his first top-flight managerial role, inheriting a side that finished mid-table last season and had struggled to find consistency since their 2021 Champions League success under Thomas Tuchel. Despite the challenges, the Italian coach has overseen a resurgence. Chelsea ended the Premier League season in fifth and lifted their first silverware in three years, all while fielding the youngest squad in the division. 'I'm very proud about the journey we've done in the Premier League,' Maresca added. 'It's the most difficult competition in the world. You have to be consistent in 38 games – and with the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, it's something unbelievable.' That youthfulness appeared to show early in Wroclaw. The Blues were rattled by the partisan crowd, and a defensive lapse from Malo Gusto allowed Abde Ezzalzouli to put Betis ahead inside nine minutes. The Spanish side dominated much of the first half, and Chelsea were fortunate not to fall further behind after Johnny Cardoso missed a clear chance. But Palmer, Chelsea's standout player this season, turned the game on its head with a moment of brilliance – floating a pinpoint cross for Fernandez to head home. Minutes later, he delivered another precise ball that Jackson converted, using his shoulder to steer it in. That brief flurry broke Betis' resistance. Sancho, on as a substitute, curled in a third before Caicedo capped the night with a fourth deep in stoppage time. 'We all know Cole is a top player,' said Maresca. 'He can decide games with a goal or an assist, and tonight he did both. Our job is to keep putting him in the right areas.' With a trophy secured and Champions League football returning to Stamford Bridge next season, Maresca said Chelsea's ambitions are only growing. 'This season, the Conference League was our target – and we won it. Next season, it's the Champions League. We'll see what we can do.'
The Sun
43 minutes ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Chelsea Win Conference League, Eye Bigger Titles Ahead
THE UEFA CONFERENCE League was not where Chelsea wanted to be, but their triumph in Wroclaw could prove to be a turning point for a club that had lost their trophy-winning habit. The Premier League team beat Real Betis 4-1 on Wednesday, recovering strongly from being outplayed in the first half by their Spanish opponents. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca's second-half substitutions lifted his team but an inspired Cole Palmer was the catalyst for victory, producing two pinpoint crosses for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson. Jadon Sancho's fine finish made it 3-1 and Moises Caicedo added a fourth in stoppage time to give Chelsea their first silverware since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired the club in May 2022 from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. During the past three years the owners have spent more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) on promising young talent, but until now have had little to show for it. Chelsea had been clear favourites to win Europe's third-tier club competition from the start, enabling Maresca to field youth and fringe players. They rampaged through the group phase, outclassing teams with a fraction of their resources such as Noah, Astana and Shamrock Rovers. Maresca spoke on the eve of the final in Poland about how he had stressed the importance of the Conference League to his players. He will not need to persuade them next season as they are back where they feel they belong, the Champions League, following a fourth-place finish in the Premier League. 'Winning mentality' Maresca, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped winning the Conference League would be a launchpad for bigger and better. 'Hopefully, it can be a starting point to build a winning mentality,' he said. 'You need to win games. You need to win competitions. 'And for sure, the trophy we won tonight is going to make us better. But also, I'm very proud about the path or the journey we have done in the Premier League. 'For me, it's the most difficult competition in the world. You have to be consistent in 38 games. And these players, they showed it.' Maresca had a rollercoaster first season after replacing Mauricio Pochettino. His team were within touching distance of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool in mid-December before stumbling badly. But they found an extra gear towards the end of the campaign, negotiating a tricky run-in to finish in the Champions League spots. 'For sure, we have improved a lot since we started,' said former Leicester boss Maresca. 'We also start to win games in an ugly way. 'That is something with a young squad that you struggle to do that.' The Italian has been keen to highlight the extreme youth of his expensively assembled squad. The average age of his starting side was the youngest in a single Premier League campaign. Under Abramovich, Chelsea became serial trophy winners, claiming five Premier League titles and winning the Champions League twice. It is too early to predict whether they will return to those heady heights but the Conference League is a start. Next on the agenda is a trip to the Club World Cup in the United States, for which Chelsea qualified by winning the 2021 Champions League. 'Now we have 10 days off, 10 days where we need to recover energy, and then we're going to start the Club World Cup,' said Maresca. 'The target is to go game by game, try to go step by step, but at this moment we don't have any target for the Club World Cup. 'Now the only target is to recover energy, because the season has been very long.'
France 24
an hour ago
- Sport
- France 24
Chelsea aim higher after Conference League triumph
The Premier League team beat Real Betis 4-1 on Wednesday, recovering strongly from being outplayed in the first half by their Spanish opponents. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca's second-half substitutions lifted his team but an inspired Cole Palmer was the catalyst for victory, producing two pinpoint crosses for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson. Jadon Sancho's fine finish made it 3-1 and Moises Caicedo added a fourth in stoppage time to give Chelsea their first silverware since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired the club in May 2022 from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. During the past three years the owners have spent more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) on promising young talent, but until now have had little to show for it. Chelsea had been clear favourites to win Europe's third-tier club competition from the start, enabling Maresca to field youth and fringe players. They rampaged through the group phase, outclassing teams with a fraction of their resources such as Noah, Astana and Shamrock Rovers. Maresca spoke on the eve of the final in Poland about how he had stressed the importance of the Conference League to his players. He will not need to persuade them next season as they are back where they feel they belong, the Champions League, following a fourth-place finish in the Premier League. 'Winning mentality' Maresca, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped winning the Conference League would be a launchpad for bigger and better. "Hopefully, it can be a starting point to build a winning mentality," he said. "You need to win games. You need to win competitions. "And for sure, the trophy we won tonight is going to make us better. But also, I'm very proud about the path or the journey we have done in the Premier League. "For me, it's the most difficult competition in the world. You have to be consistent in 38 games. And these players, they showed it." Maresca had a rollercoaster first season after replacing Mauricio Pochettino. His team were within touching distance of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool in mid-December before stumbling badly. But they found an extra gear towards the end of the campaign, negotiating a tricky run-in to finish in the Champions League spots. "For sure, we have improved a lot since we started," said former Leicester boss Maresca. "We also start to win games in an ugly way. "That is something with a young squad that you struggle to do that." The Italian has been keen to highlight the extreme youth of his expensively assembled squad. The average age of his starting side was the youngest in a single Premier League campaign. Under Abramovich, Chelsea became serial trophy winners, claiming five Premier League titles and winning the Champions League twice. It is too early to predict whether they will return to those heady heights but the Conference League is a start. Next on the agenda is a trip to the Club World Cup in the United States, for which Chelsea qualified by winning the 2021 Champions League. "Now we have 10 days off, 10 days where we need to recover energy, and then we're going to start the Club World Cup," said Maresca. "The target is to go game by game, try to go step by step, but at this moment we don't have any target for the Club World Cup. © 2025 AFP
The Sun
an hour ago
- Business
- The Sun
Chelsea aim higher after Conference League triumph
THE UEFA CONFERENCE League was not where Chelsea wanted to be, but their triumph in Wroclaw could prove to be a turning point for a club that had lost their trophy-winning habit. The Premier League team beat Real Betis 4-1 on Wednesday, recovering strongly from being outplayed in the first half by their Spanish opponents. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca's second-half substitutions lifted his team but an inspired Cole Palmer was the catalyst for victory, producing two pinpoint crosses for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson. Jadon Sancho's fine finish made it 3-1 and Moises Caicedo added a fourth in stoppage time to give Chelsea their first silverware since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired the club in May 2022 from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. During the past three years the owners have spent more than £1 billion ($1.3 billion) on promising young talent, but until now have had little to show for it. Chelsea had been clear favourites to win Europe's third-tier club competition from the start, enabling Maresca to field youth and fringe players. They rampaged through the group phase, outclassing teams with a fraction of their resources such as Noah, Astana and Shamrock Rovers. Maresca spoke on the eve of the final in Poland about how he had stressed the importance of the Conference League to his players. He will not need to persuade them next season as they are back where they feel they belong, the Champions League, following a fourth-place finish in the Premier League. 'Winning mentality' Maresca, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped winning the Conference League would be a launchpad for bigger and better. 'Hopefully, it can be a starting point to build a winning mentality,' he said. 'You need to win games. You need to win competitions. 'And for sure, the trophy we won tonight is going to make us better. But also, I'm very proud about the path or the journey we have done in the Premier League. 'For me, it's the most difficult competition in the world. You have to be consistent in 38 games. And these players, they showed it.' Maresca had a rollercoaster first season after replacing Mauricio Pochettino. His team were within touching distance of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool in mid-December before stumbling badly. But they found an extra gear towards the end of the campaign, negotiating a tricky run-in to finish in the Champions League spots. 'For sure, we have improved a lot since we started,' said former Leicester boss Maresca. 'We also start to win games in an ugly way. 'That is something with a young squad that you struggle to do that.' The Italian has been keen to highlight the extreme youth of his expensively assembled squad. The average age of his starting side was the youngest in a single Premier League campaign. Under Abramovich, Chelsea became serial trophy winners, claiming five Premier League titles and winning the Champions League twice. It is too early to predict whether they will return to those heady heights but the Conference League is a start. Next on the agenda is a trip to the Club World Cup in the United States, for which Chelsea qualified by winning the 2021 Champions League. 'Now we have 10 days off, 10 days where we need to recover energy, and then we're going to start the Club World Cup,' said Maresca. 'The target is to go game by game, try to go step by step, but at this moment we don't have any target for the Club World Cup. 'Now the only target is to recover energy, because the season has been very long.'
