Latest news with #ReeceJames
Observer
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Observer
Chelsea defeat Betis 4-1 to win Conference League
WROCLAW, Poland: Chelsea roared back to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Conference League final in Wroclaw on Wednesday, becoming the first club to claim all four major 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 Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup. It is also the first silverware for the club 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. The trophy win in Poland means Chelsea end 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. "It's a great feeling," captain Reece James told TNT Sports. "As the game went on we grew into it and thankfully we scored four goals in the second half. "Coming into this competition was something we had to win. Next season we go again in the Champions League." The Spanish side went ahead in the ninth minute through Ezzalzouli, who scored the goal against Fiorentina that took his side to the final. Reece James lifts the trophy with teammates. — Reuters Malo Gusto lost the ball and it broke to Betis captain Isco, who produced a clever pass to find Ezzalzouli on the edge of the box, with the Moroccan drilling a left-footed shot across Filip Jorgensen. Minutes later Marc Bartra tried his luck from distance but this time Jorgensen was equal to the task, producing a flying save. Urged on by their massed ranks of fans, Betis went close again when Johnny Cardoso's shot from inside the box was deflected behind. The Premier League side were enjoying the bulk of possession but struggling to create meaningful chances, with Betis defending well and Isco, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, pulling the strings. PALMER MAGIC Maresca brought on James for the struggling Gusto at the break and the English side looked livelier. Pellegrini was forced a change when goalscorer Ezzalzouli was forced off, with Jesus Rodriguez coming on to replace him. Maresca also made a number of other changes, including bringing on Sancho, but it took two moments of magic from Palmer to turn the tide. The England man produced a pinpoint cross from the right that found the onrushing Argentina midfielder Fernandez, who got between two defenders to head the ball past Adrian in the 65th minute. Suddenly Chelsea's tails were up and the fans behind the goal were in full voice. Five minutes later Palmer bamboozled the Betis defence, producing a wonderful turn and cross which Jackson bundled into the net. Jackson should have scored a second goal but a heavy touch allowed the Betis goalkeeper to gather. But Sancho made it 3-1 when he combined with fellow substitute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and finished from the angle and Caicedo added a fourth from the edge of the box. Victory for Chelsea breaks an astonishing cycle of wins for Spanish teams. Taking into account World Cups, European Championships, Champions League and the UEFA Cup/Europa League, of the previous 27 men's finals involving Spanish teams, all 27 had had Spanish winners. — AFP
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Inside Chelsea's Conference League win: Half-time team talk, after-party and Palmer's award mix-up
It was the half-time team talk that played a key role in Chelsea making history. Chelsea were 1-0 down in the Conference League final against Real Betis and looked rattled. Head coach Enzo Maresca came into the dressing room and quickly got to work. The message given to the players was clear. Sources, who, like all of those spoken to for this article, spoke anonymously to protect relationships, say that Maresca stressed how everything had to change or they would lose the game. But the Italian was upbeat, telling the group to forget what had just taken place and see the second half as like starting a new match. Advertisement Maresca also knew things had to change tactically. He was particularly focused on their issues on the right-hand side. Abde Ezzalzouli, who capitalised in the ninth minute to put Betis in front, was causing a lot of problems. There would be just one change to the line-up, with captain Reece James replacing the struggling Malo Gusto as the 'inverted' right-back. After speaking to the whole group for a few minutes, Maresca then sought out individuals to convey what he wanted from them specifically. James admitted after the game that he was disappointed not to start. But a measure of how well Maresca had got his message across and inspired the players to turn things around came from James himself. Speaking to TNT Sports following Chelsea's 4-1 victory, Maresca said: 'When we changed him, he said to me, 'Boss, don't worry, we're going to win the game'.' This was not the first time Maresca had been particularly vocal over the past week. Before beating Nottingham Forest on Sunday in their final Premier League fixture of the season to secure Champions League football, he stressed how important it would be to win these back-to-back 'finals'. He said the two results would write the last bit of the story of their season, which he already felt had been a positive progression. It was made clear that everyone should push for two wins. Having one result go well and not the other could be viewed as not a bad return but Maresca stressed that this is Chelsea and at this club, you have to aim for the maximum. And as The Athletic revealed, Maresca also gave an impassioned speech in the away dressing room following Sunday's 1-0 win. In the build-up to the Conference League final, it was all about giving it one last push. They certainly did that. All the tension in the build-up to the final was a distant memory at the afterparty, which was held in a conference room at Hotel Q, where the club stayed in Wroclaw. The players' families and close friends were staying elsewhere in the city, but they were bussed there to join in the festivities. One of the priorities for everybody there was to pose for pictures with the trophy. A queue was formed so players and staff could get a photo of it alongside their loved ones. Advertisement Along with food and drink, TV screens were provided so that footage of the entire season could be shown. Images of Nicolas Jackson's goal against Betis, which put Chelsea 2-1 up, sparked especially raucous celebrations. An insight into Jackson's mood had already been given when he came through the mixed zone at Wroclaw Stadium, where the media gather post-match to ask players for an interview. There was a Senegal flag (for Jackson's home country) draped over his shoulders, and he was holding a speaker blasting out a song. Rather than talk about how he was feeling, Jackson showed it by dancing his way onto the team bus. Nicolas Jackson was in the mood for dancing, not talking, tonight. #CFC — Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) May 28, 2025 No wonder. After being sent off against Newcastle United for violent conduct, which meant he missed the last two league games through suspension, Jackson had repaid 'the debt' Maresca said he owed his team-mates. Clips of players singing or rapping at the party were put out on various social media accounts. But the star of the show was Marc Cucurella. He seemed to enjoy taking to the stage, much to the mirth of his team-mates. Sources in attendance say one of the tunes in his repertoire is his now rather infamous 'Estrella' song. It had to be done. 🍻🥘😜@EstrellaDammUK — Marc Cucurella (@cucurella3) August 2, 2024 The hierarchy, coaching staff and academy staff were in attendance too. But this was not the time for more grand speeches. It was an opportunity for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves. There were people still in the room at 5am. Enzo Fernandez, who scored the equaliser, spent some of the event enjoying telling people how Chelsea had made history by winning all the UEFA competitions. Advertisement The midfielder was also pictured standing with Mykhailo Mudryk, who has been provisionally banned since December for failing a doping test. Mudryk, who has not been able to train at Cobham since, arrived separately in Wroclaw on Tuesday, happily posing for pictures with Chelsea fans and telling them that he was in town to get a 'winner's medal'. Chelsea had 50 to give out, and while Maresca seemed surprised when asked about the Ukraine international's whereabouts in the pre-match press conference, the club felt he merited a medal for his contribution during the league phase, where he scored three goals and registered three assists in four games. This was a theme of the build-up. Some players who had featured heavily in the earlier rounds were taken aside by staff and told their contribution was valued, even if they weren't in the starting XI for the final. The messages were appreciated despite the hint that they could miss out on a major role in the showpiece occasion. A sign of the strong team spirit was clear for all to see at open training at the stadium on Tuesday night. During the light session, there was lots of laughter and joking as the coaching staff did some fun drills. #CFC squad is in good spirits before the final. — Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) May 27, 2025 Maresca informed the players of the side he had picked in the customary team meeting held hours before kick-off. One of the players left out of the XI spoke to a close friend about his disappointment at missing out, but that he would get behind the team. Meanwhile, family members were having a pre-final get-together where they were all housed at the Hotel Monopol. One parent told The Athletic that they could not hide their tension, saying: 'I am not feeling excited, I am too sick with nerves!' Chelsea had also arranged two coaches to take them to the stadium. As the players came out to inspect the pitch beforehand, they were greeted with loud, shrill whistling from the Betis end. However, many players looked relaxed. Palmer was sharing a joke and a smile, partly helped by his close friend Tosin Adarabioyo being alongside him. James looked more serious, no doubt digesting the news that he would be on the bench to begin with. Yet such was the repartee around him, including with backup 'keeper Marcus Bettinelli, he soon broke out into a chuckle himself. A few hours later and they had even more reason to bond together. Soon after the whistle, James dragged and pushed Maresca to take the acclaim of the Chelsea fans. Initially reluctant, he did a Jurgen Klopp-style pumped-fist celebration to wild cheers. Advertisement All the Chelsea hierarchy were there too. Co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali had already been pictured sharing a rare hug in the stands. As the jubilant scenes unfolded, they were joined on the playing surface by Jose Feliciano, sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, Joe Shields and Sam Jewell. Eghbali and Boehly, whose relationship is described as professional rather than close, took it in turns to offer some warm words to Maresca. A section of supporters may still take some convincing when it comes to the man in the dugout. But Noni Madueke does not understand why there are any doubters remaining. He told The Athletic afterwards: 'The gaffer is top, man. He won the Championship last year at Leicester and he won this year in his first year at Chelsea, and qualified for the Champions League. I don't understand why there would be criticism of him.' Most of the squad wanted to get to the coach and head to the afterparty rather than discuss the evening's events with members of the media. Loud screaming could be heard from the press conference room as journalists waited for Palmer and Maresca to go through their official duties. Once done, Palmer was so distracted by the thought of getting away from a microphone, he left his man-of-the-match award behind. Fortunately, Tosin, who had come with him mainly for moral support, picked it up for him. 'You forget this!' he said with great mirth. The last month has seen Chelsea's season end on a high. After being booed off for a 2-1 loss against Legia Warsaw, a result that was still good enough to make the Conference League semi-finals, Chelsea ended the campaign with eight wins from their last nine games. 'We've improved a lot since we started,' Maresca said before leaving the stadium. 'We started to win games in an ugly way. That is something with a young squad that you struggle to do, but it is very important. 'I knew we are on the right path when we scored, and the first two guys to celebrate were Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile (who had both been substituted). For a manager, when you change players who are not playing good and they are the first to enjoy the celebration, that means a lot. That means that the spirit is good, we're going in the right direction, everyone is helping each other, and this is a good base to build something important.' As the squad go their separate ways before reuniting for the Club World Cup, Maresca may come to reflect on events in Wroclaw as a key foundation to his Chelsea tenure.
BBC News
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'We've got our Chelsea back'
After Chelsea won the Conference League on Wednesday, we asked for your celebration stories and what the trophy means for Enzo Maresca's is a snapshot of your submissions:Terry (picture above): Just arrived back from Wroclaw after a brilliant trip. What a second half performance from the team! The atmosphere heading to and in the stadium was fantastic. Credit to the Real Betis fans and to the Polish hosts. We heard there was some trouble between fans but didn't see anything and only take a positive experience away. It may only be the Conference League but winning it and finishing in the top four shows real progress for this young We are staying in Krakow - it has been an amazing experience. My son cried after we equalised, such a fab memory. A day of recovery exploring the city. Chill day definitely required!Jacob: I had a couple of drinks with my mates after the game and we didn't get back home until 5am!Not a Chelsea fan? Find and follow your club here Mo: People forget this isn't the same CFC that won the Champions League four years ago (apart from Reece James). This is a team full of kids with massive potential, who are yet to reach their prime. This win will do wonders for them. The bond, the hunger, the experience and the belief this win has created is invaluable. Their first steps in European Club football. Very happy for the boys and looking forward to the next few years as they hit their We've won it all! Again! Great second half from the team. Malo Gusto had a shocker but he will learn and improve. We need a new striker as Jackson isn't good enough even though he scored. We should have won the competition but being favourites isn't always easy and we did the job. Djordje Petrovic in goal and Andrey Santos in the squad and we can do good things next season!!Scott: This celebration wasn't about the Conference League - it was a marker that were rising back to where we feel we belong. I wouldn't swap Arsenal's season for ours and the questions about their current manager and team is 'have they peaked?, about whether Arteta should stay if they remain trophyless next season. The question about the current Chelsea team is solely about how far they can go. We've got our Chelsea back.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Chelsea thrash Real Betis 4-1 to lift maiden UEFA Conference League title
Chelsea capped off a rollercoaster season with silverware, storming back in the second half to defeat Real Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday in Wroclaw, Poland. While the Conference League isn't the most coveted of UEFA's competitions, the triumph still marks a significant milestone for the London club — its first trophy under American ownership and a historic sweep of all four major UEFA titles. The win also arrived just days after Chelsea sealed a top-four Premier League finish and a return to the Champions League, signalling a potential turning point under manager Enzo Maresca in his debut season. Betis strike first, Chelsea hit back Real Betis opened the scoring through Abdessamad Ezzalzouli in the ninth minute, taking early control in what was the Spanish side's first European final. Chelsea looked sluggish and disjointed in the first half, prompting captain Reece James to later admit the team was 'flat' and lacked energy. Palmer orchestrates the comeback Chelsea's resurgence was led by Cole Palmer, whose quality shone through. The young English playmaker provided two exquisite assists — first a swinging delivery converted by Enzo Fernandez in the 65th minute, followed by a clever move and cross to Nicolas Jackson five minutes later. Substitute Jadon Sancho added a third with a curling strike, and Moises Caicedo put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time with a deflected long-range effort. James, Maresca reflect on impact Reece James, who came on at half-time, revealed he was disappointed not to start but proud to contribute. 'We needed a reaction, and we got it,' he noted. Maresca praised his side's composure, acknowledging the first half had been difficult but adding that the team 'improved massively' after the break. Chelsea make UEFA history The Conference League triumph completes Chelsea's collection of UEFA titles, adding to previous successes in the Champions League, Europa League and the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup. Spanish dominance ends, violence mars occasion The result also halted a 23-final winning streak for Spanish clubs in UEFA men's competitions since 2001-02. However, the night was overshadowed by pre-match violence in Wroclaw, with local authorities arresting 28 individuals amid clashes between supporters. England's European charge continues Chelsea's victory followed Tottenham's Europa League win over Manchester United, securing a double for English clubs in Europe this season. However, hopes of a clean sweep ended as PSG and Inter Milan are set to clash in Saturday's Champions League final.
The Guardian
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Champions League final preview, plus Chelsea win a thing! – Football Weekly Extra podcast
Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today; Chelsea win the Conference League. They were clear favourites but a trophy is a trophy and it puts them in a good place before next season. Reece James came on at half-time and made a difference before Cole Palmer's effortless brilliance set up the goals that turned the game around. Elsewhere the panel look ahead to the men's Champions League final. PSG are favourites, as everyone continues to underestimate Inter. Can the grizzled Italians keep pace with the French side's midfield and that strike force? Plus, transfer latest, Manchester United's less than auspicious tour of Malaysia and your questions answered. Support the Guardian here. You can also find Football Weekly on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
