The UEFA Conference League was not the desired destination for Chelsea; however, their victory in Wroclaw may serve as a pivotal moment for a club that had lost its winning tradition.
The Premier League side triumphed over Real Betis with a score of 4-1 on Wednesday, demonstrating a strong recovery after being outperformed in the first half by their Spanish rivals.
Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, made impactful substitutions in the second half that energized his team, but it was the inspired performance of Cole Palmer that truly ignited their success, as he delivered two precise crosses for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson.
Jadon Sancho’s excellent finish brought the score to 3-1, and Moises Caicedo secured a fourth goal during stoppage time, marking Chelsea’s first trophy since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took ownership of the club in May 2022 from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.
Over the past three years, the owners have invested over £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in promising young talent, yet until now, they had little to show for their expenditures.
Chelsea had been the clear favorites to win the third-tier club competition in Europe from the outset, allowing Maresca to utilize youth and fringe players.
They dominated the group stage, outshining teams with significantly fewer resources, such as Noah, Astana, and Shamrock Rovers.
On the eve of the final in Poland, Maresca emphasized the significance of the Conference League to his players.
Next season, he will not need to convince them, as they have returned to the Champions League, where they believe they rightfully belong, following a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.
