Chelsea Coach Maresca Reacts After Winning Conference League, Sets New Target for the Blues

• Chelsea came from a goal down to defeat Real Betis 4-1 to claim their first UEFA Conference League title
• Blues manager Enzo Maresca praised the club’s fans and players, calling the win a “starting point” for bigger achievements
• Chelsea made history as the Blues became the first team to have won all major UEFA club trophies

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca hailed his side’s UEFA Conference League victory as a possible turning point in the club’s recent struggles, following their 4-1 win over Real Betis in the final held in Wroclaw, Poland.

The Blues had to battle from a goal down to claim their first silverware since 2022 after an inspired second-half performance.

Despite a sluggish and uninspiring first-half performance, Chelsea came alive after the break with the introduction of Reece James.

The Blues captain dramatically altered the team's energy and attacking fluidity, and goals from Enzo Fernandes, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Moises Caicedo completed a second-half five-star performance that left Real Betis stunned, Sky Sports reports.

The victory delivered Chelsea their first trophy under Maresca. It also marked Chelsea’s first piece of silverware since the Club World Cup in February 2022.

With it, the Blues became the first team to win all major UEFA club competitions (Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, and now the Conference League).

The beginning of something important

After the final whistle, Chelsea coach Maresca cut a proud figure, praising both the players and fans while being optimistic that the win would spark a new chapter of sustained success at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea News reports.

"I'm very proud, and very happy," he said. "I know the fans deserve it. They’ve waited for a few years for good moments. The club has invested a lot of money, so they’ve been waiting too."

Since Todd Boehly’s takeover at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have spent over £1 billion on new signings with little return until now.

Maresca believes that this trophy could be the catalyst to unify the club’s ambition and resources.

“Hopefully, this can be a starting point and we can begin to create something important.”

Eyes on the Champions League

With Chelsea now back in the UEFA Champions League after a two-year absence, speculation immediately turned to how far they could go in Europe’s biggest club competition.

When asked whether lifting the Champions League was the next target, Maresca responded blunty:

“No,” he laughed, “but we’ll enjoy this win for a week and then get to work again.”

Chelsea beat Real Betis to claim UECL

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Chelsea are the winners of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League, the fourth edition of the tournament, after beating Real Betis 4-1 in Wroclaw, Poland.

Abdessamad Ezzalzouli opened the scoring for Betis in the ninth minute of the first half, but Chelsea sprang to life in the second half to complete the turnaround.

Cole Palmer showed his brilliance to assist Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson in the 65th and 70th minutes before Jadon Sancho completed the turnaround in the 83rd minute.

Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng