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Conference League Final 2025 - Real Betis 1-4 Chelsea


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Maresca targets European history for Chelsea in Conference League final

Wroclaw (Poland) (AFP) – Enzo Maresca is a man with a point to prove as he targets football history for Chelsea in Wednesday's UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250527-maresca-targets-european-history-for-Chelsea-in-conference-league-final

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Victory in the final round of Premier League matches at Nottingham Forest on Sunday secured qualification for next season's Champions League.

Now Maresca's thoughts turn to Wroclaw and the chance for Chelsea to become the first team to win all five of UEFA's major men's club competitions.

The Blues have twice won the Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup and the defunct Cup Winners' Cup and can now complete the set if they overcome Betis in the final of Europe's newest competition in Poland.

Maresca has had a rollercoaster first season in charge at Stamford Bridge after replacing Mauricio Pochettino.

His team were within touching distance of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool in mid-December before stumbling badly, but results picked up again towards the end of the campaign.

Maresca, clearly frustrated, rounded on his critics after his youthful side secured fourth spot in the Premier League on Sunday with a 1-0 win at the City Ground.

"All the ones that (think) they are the answer, or all the ones that they are the truth, they were saying that we are too young, we are not good enough," he said.

"Unfortunately for them, they'll be all wrong, the ones that (think) they are the truth and they have the answer for everything."

Chelsea have qualified for next season's Champions League

Chelsea have qualified for next season's Champions League © Glyn KIRK / AFP/File

Maresca, who has also been criticised by fans over perceived cautious tactics, told UEFA.com that winning the Conference League would turn a good season into a "great one" for Chelsea.

"It would be a way of saying that we are back and that we are a winning club in Europe, and we hope to achieve just that."

The west London club are still waiting to win their first silverware since Todd Boehly's consortium took over from former owner Roman Abramovich in 2022.

The 2021 European champions were clear favourites to win the Conference League from the start of the competition and have won 11 of their 12 games.

Former Leicester boss Maresca, 45, has rotated his squad during the competition, giving opportunities to youth and fringe players and has again stressed the need to make changes for Wednesday's match.

Pellegrini 'father figure'

Maresca will pit his wits against 71-year-old Manuel Pellegrini, a man whom he describes as a football "father figure" after playing under him at Malaga and serving as assistant coach at West Ham.

"I am where I am today thanks to him," he said. "I worked with Manuel for four years -- two years as a player and two years as part of his staff. So, I owe so much to him in terms of what I’ve achieved.

Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini

Real Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini © CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP/File

"I am grateful for the relationship we have and the advice he gives me. He told me never to change."

Immensely experienced ex-Real Madrid and Manchester City boss Pellegrini said his former protege was destined for a long career in football.

"You can often tell which players might go on to be good coaches —- from the impression they have on others, how they absorb concepts in training," he said.

"With both Enzo and Willy (Caballero, Chelsea assistant coach), I was sure they'd go on to become influential coaches on a global level."

The Chilean, whose side finished sixth in La Liga, can call upon the talents of the rejuvenated Antony, on loan from Manchester United, and Isco, who won five Champions League trophies at Real Madrid.

And the Seville-based club, playing in their first European final, can take heart from a remarkable statistic.

Since the start of the 2001/02 season, all 23 Champions League, Europa League or Conference League finals that have featured Spanish hopefuls have been won by a Spanish team.

Pellegrini wants to put on a "show" in Wroclaw.

"We all know that winning is always very important, but I think that how you win makes it even more important," he said.

© 2025 AFP

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26 minutes ago, We Hate Scouse said:

Just boarded my flight out there. Going via Berlin and then a train to Wrocław. Taking my 12 year old boy for his first European away too!

Had a nightmare with my hotel, having had it booked 1 year in advanced, they cancelled my room last Tuesday due to "Room Modernization", which I guess is just another term for profiteering. Thankfully booking.com were excellent and they sorted me another hotel which was only confirmed Saturday. Very stressful few days between however!!

Hopefully no more dramas or stress and we go on to make history.

Hope you and your boy enjoy it. He'll have memories of it for the rest of his life. Great experience.

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Chelsea Conference League final key questions: How important is it? Who starts? Predictions?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6384082/2025/05/28/Chelsea-conference-league-final-analysis/

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Follow live coverage of today’s Conference League final between Betis and Chelsea

Chelsea have already secured one significant target this week by qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in the Todd Boehly-Clearlake era. Now the men’s team have the chance to get their hands on the first piece of silverware under the consortium, too.

They will be strong favourites against Real Betis in Wednesday’s Conference League final in Wroclaw. Succeed and they will become the only club to have the full set of major UEFA trophies: Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and Cup Winners’ Cup. Fail, and it will be a missed opportunity to make history.

The Athletic’s Chelsea correspondents, Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey, had one of their cosy chats to talk about some of the issues surrounding the final.


How important is this game?

Johnson: Can Chelsea ‘win it all’?

Twomey: They certainly have a great chance. I am not sure how much it means to the ownership because they have seemingly wanted a clean break from the past, but for the players and head coach Enzo Maresca it is a chance for them to win something together, which is the most important motivation of all.

SJ: I think getting the first trophy of the Boehly-Clearlake era is key, too. While it is not the trophy they set out to win on taking over the club, it will stop the talk that they have yet to win anything, which will continue to be levelled at them until they do. This competition is the easiest opportunity, and they should take it.

LT: Yes, you only had to see the criticism after Chelsea lost the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool last year when Gary Neville called them “the billion-pound bottle jobs”. And let’s not forget that Betis are a top-six club in La Liga…

SJ: They are managed by Manuel Pellegrini, who Maresca has a lot of respect for. He played under him at Malaga and was his assistant at West Ham United. Enzo called him his “professional dad” last week and clearly feels Chelsea are in for a tough game.

LT: Betis have never won a European trophy. This is the biggest game in their history.

SJ: There is a different feel about it for both clubs. Chelsea have been expected to win it from day one, whereas it will be a dream for Betis to do so. It reminds me of when Chelsea lost their first Club World Cup final against Corinthians in 2012, when the Brazilian team wanted it more. In saying that, Chelsea are in a great mindset after Sunday. If they had failed to qualify for the Champions League, they would have been under a lot of pressure and on a bit of a downer. Instead, they are on a high after getting the result they needed at Nottingham Forest. That could balance out the fact that they have had shorter preparation time than their opponents, who played on Friday night.

LT: Chelsea have been playing with a chip on their shoulder, that they are sick of being doubted. Well, go do that again.

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Filip Jorgensen played in the semi-final against Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Who should start?

SJ: Regular listeners to Straight Outta Cobham will have heard me saying Robert Sanchez should start in goal. Filip Jorgensen has played most of the games, but Sanchez is the No 1 and has done pretty well in recent weeks. But when I asked Maresca about it last week, he confirmed Jorgensen is going to be in goal. In my opinion, if you are trying to win a cup, you go with your best ‘keeper. No time for sentiment.

LT: I agree. I believe it is dangerous nonsense. You could apply the same logic to all the other players who have played a lot of minutes up to the final that are not considered to be the A-team. You should always play your best players in a big game. Besides, Jorgensen has been accustomed to playing with a certain group of defenders, like Benoit Badiashile and Josh Acheampong, not the back four you expect to start like Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella and Reece James. Mess around with those familiar connections and you increase the chance of mistakes — particularly when trying to play out from the back under pressure.

SJ: Maresca has said he will make changes due to the short turnaround, but the only change I would make to the back four from the one that played at Nottingham Forest is Trevoh Chalobah for Tosin Adarabioyo. The latter was brought in because of Forest’s Chris Wood. He has done well, but Chalobah deserves to play in what could be his final match for Chelsea.

LT: James should stay in, too. He has shown he can play more than one game a week at a high level, and Chelsea need the leadership he displayed against Nottingham Forest as well as his quality.

SJ: He is also the only member of Chelsea’s 2021 Champions League-winning team who is going to be involved. Yes, Enzo Fernandez has won a World Cup, but none of the others know what it takes to lift a trophy with Chelsea. James’s experience of that is vital. With Romeo Lavia not in the Conference League squad, the midfield takes care of itself, right?

LT: Yes, Moises Caicedo and Fernandez.

SJ: What about the wingers? All three played on Sunday. There is Tyrique George, too. However, the others are ahead of him in the pecking order.

LT: Yes. I would go with Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto. George has scored some key goals in recent months and can always be an option off the bench. Then Cole Palmer will be there too. Hopefully, we see some Palmer magic.

SJ: Yes, I thought we saw some of the old Palmer in the win over Liverpool. However, overall, he still seems like a guy running out of steam toward the finishing line. It would be important for Chelsea if he can rally himself for this last fixture. He does have the memory of scoring a fine goal in the Super Cup final for Manchester City against Sevilla. Chelsea need that. One player who should not be short of motivation is Nicolas Jackson after missing the final two games through suspension after his red card against Newcastle United. He has a point to prove and he knows Chelsea want to buy a centre-forward this summer. This is an opportunity to show ‘I must stay as the main man’. He just needs to channel that energy in the right way, not by hitting anyone in the face!

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Nicolas Jackson reacts after being sent off against Newcastle at St James’ Park on May 11 (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

LT: I know some within the fanbase were keen to wash their hands of him. But don’t forget, Didier Drogba was sent off in a Champions League final and redeemed himself. That is not to say Jackson is as good, but more a case of saying don’t give up on someone after a low point. No player will have bigger motivation. Plus, Chelsea’s attack does not function as well without him, despite winning against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest. He stretches teams with his movement and presses opponents constantly.


Any concerns over Betis?

SJ: We have not talked about Betis that much. We are not Maresca, who will have watched lots of videos of them to provide expert analysis, but Antony’s revival since going on loan there from Manchester United is clearly a cause for concern for Chelsea.

LT: Yes, Chelsea have to be looking at that. He is full of confidence. Cucurella will be up against him. While Cucurella has been really impactful going forward, there is still a question mark over his one-versus-one defending at times. Then the wingers in front — it might be Madueke — are not great tracking back, either.

SJ: Perhaps Caicedo can help with keeping him in check, as he does like to cut inside. I would rather he look out for him than Fernandez, who does not have the pace to cope. Betis do concede goals, which Chelsea should see as a positive. They have not kept a clean sheet in their last 11 games.


Who will win?

LT: Chelsea. They have balance between attack and defence now, especially with Jackson coming back. They will have too much for Betis.

SJ: I am not going to jinx them by saying they will. It is an amazing opportunity for them to have a fantastic end to the season and really help them to kick on in 2025-26, too.

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