Wrocław, Poland: Chelsea FC made history on Wednesday night, May 28, by becoming the first club to win every major UEFA club competition after thrashing Real Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Europa Conference League final at Stadion Miejski in Wrocław, Poland.
The Spanish side stunned the Blues with a 9th-minute opener from Moroccan winger Abde Ezzalzouli, putting Chelsea on the back foot for the remainder of the first half. But a series of tactical substitutes by head coach Enzo Maresca in the second period saw the Londoners come alive with four unanswered goals.
In-form Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernández sparked the Blues’ comeback with a stunner in the 65th minute when he jumped high to head in Cole Palmer’s cross before Nicolas Jackson struck with his chest five minutes later from another Palmer cross to complete the turnaround.
Jadon Sancho, off the bench, doubled the lead in the 83rd minute with a stunning curl inside the top corner, and Moisés Caicedo capped it off with a 90+1’ strike to wrap up a commanding victory for the West Londoners.
Chelsea’s triumph not only secured their first-ever UEFA Conference League title, but also marked a historic clean sweep of UEFA club competitions, having previously won the UEFA Champions League (2012, 2021), UEFA Europa League (2013, 2019), UEFA Super Cup (1998, 2021), and the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1971, 1998).
Real Betis, despite a promising start, struggled to cope with Chelsea’s intensity in the second half. The Spanish side, who were chasing their first European title, were left shell-shocked by the English giants’ clinical edge.
Chelsea’s triumph marks a victorious end to what had been a turbulent season and offers new head coach Enzo Maresca his first silverware in charge of the Blues.
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