In a night to remember, Chelsea staged a dramatic comeback against Real Betis to clinch the UEFA Conference League title, becoming the first team ever to complete the full set of European club trophies.
With just 25 minutes left on the clock in Wroclaw, the Blues were staring down defeat. But Cole Palmer ignited a stunning turnaround, delivering two pinpoint crosses from the right that Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson converted into goals. Fernandez leveled the score with a deft header from Palmer’s inswinger, and Jackson followed up five minutes later with a bundled finish at the near post.
The momentum was firmly with Chelsea, and substitute Jadon Sancho added to the lead with a beautifully curled shot, set up by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. As the match edged into injury time, Moises Caicedo capped off the victory with a deflected strike from 20 yards, sealing a 4-1 win.
Real Betis had taken the lead before halftime, with Abde Ezzalzouli finishing off a slick move orchestrated by the ever-classy Isco. However, Chelsea’s resilience and manager Enzo Maresca’s decision to field his strongest lineup paid off handsomely, turning the tide decisively in their favor.
This historic win not only secured the Conference League title but also made Chelsea the first club to have lifted every major UEFA club trophy – the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup, and the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup.
The victory also ended a remarkable Spanish stranglehold, with Chelsea becoming the first non-Spanish side to defeat a Spanish team in a European final since 2002. Spanish clubs had won the previous 27 men’s European or international finals involving their teams.
For Chelsea, this triumph marks their first silverware since lifting the Club World Cup in February 2022. It also caps off an impressive first season under Enzo Maresca, who secured Champions League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season with a decisive win over Nottingham Forest.
With this victory, Chelsea have not only made history but also set the stage for a new era of success under Maresca’s leadership.
