Chelsea secured their first silverware under Enzo Maresca and a clean sweep of European trophies as they thrashed Real Betis 4-1 in the Conference League final.
Enzo Maresca’s men were sluggish and looked out of ideas for much of the first half, and were blown away early on by the brilliant pairing of Isco and Abde Ezzalzouli, with the Moroccan latching onto a superb pass by Isco to slot home the opener in the ninth minute.
But Betis did not build on their lead and Maresca made some inspired substitutions, bringing on club captain Reece James at the restart to kick-start a Chelsea turnaround.
Cole Palmer was back to his brilliant best, assisting Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson inside five minutes in the second half to put the Blues in front, and they blew Manuel Pellegrini’s side away as the Spaniards faded.
Two more substitutes combined as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall squared to Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho, who curled a lovely finish past Betis keeper Adrian, before Fernandez teed up Caicedo in the final minute of normal time for Chelsea’s fourth. It was a performance of two halves for Chelsea but the second half was all that mattered as they sealed the title.
Relive all the Conference League final action with our live blog below:
Conference League final LIVE
- Chelsea thump Real Betis 4-1 in Conference League final
- The Blues struggled in the first half but Cole Palmer inspired a second-half comeback
- '9 GOAL! Ezzalzouli puts Real Betis in front early in Wroclaw [BET 1-0 CHE]
- '65 GOAL! Fernandez heads in equaliser from Palmer cross [BET 1-1 CHE]
- '70 GOAL! Jackson knocks Palmer cross in from close range to complete turnaround [BET 1-2 CHE]
- '83 GOAL! Subsitutes combine as Sancho curls in lovely finish from Dewsbury-Hall cross [BET 1-3 CHE]
- '90 GOAL! Caicedo sweeps home fourth for rampant Chelsea [BET 1-4 CHE]
How a Cole Palmer masterclass turned Chelsea’s Conference League nightmare into glory
22:32 , Flo CliffordChelsea’s season ended in glory in Wroclaw as they came from behind to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the Conference League final and deliver the first trophy of the Clearlake Capital ownership era.
Everything for Enzo Maresca’s team hinged around a five-minute spell midway through the second half.
In that window Cole Palmer turned a match the LaLiga side had enjoyed by far the better of into a Chelsea procession, setting up headers first for Enzo Fernandez then for Nicolas Jackson just as the occasion looked to have overwhelmed this young Blues team.
How a Cole Palmer masterclass turned Chelsea’s Conference League nightmare into glory
'I would always start' James - Maresca
23:08 , Flo CliffordThe Chelsea boss is dragged away from the celebrations to be interviewed on TNT Sports.
Asked why he didn’t start captain Reece James, he says, “I promise you, I would always start Reece but I'm trying to protect him. He's played more games this season than in the last two.
“He's happy, he's a top player. He's like Cole Palmer - but we need to manage him.
“When I brought him on, he said not to worry and that we'd win the game."
He adds that “we are going to try again” next season - only two tiers up, in the Champions League.
Chelsea are the 2025 Conference League champions
23:00 , Flo Clifford
Sancho's future to be discussed - Maresca
22:55 , Flo CliffordMaresca is asked about the future of goalscorer Jadon Sancho, but won’t be drawn on it.
“From now on is when we sit down with the club and decide about next year.
“Jadon Sancho, if we finished fourth, it's because of Jadon, if we won tonight it's because of Jadon.
“It's also because of Robert Sanchez - during the season, everyone is up and down a little bit, that's part of the game.”
English clubs on top?
22:50 , Flo Clifford5 - In Liverpool (Premier League), Crystal Palace (FA Cup), Newcastle United (League Cup), Tottenham Hotspur (UEFA Europa League), and Chelsea (UEFA Conference League), 2024-25 is the first season in history to see five different English clubs win a major trophy. Famous. pic.twitter.com/LEzRFNcUdB
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 28, 2025
'We have achieved everything we wanted to' - Colwill
22:44 , Flo CliffordColwill is now asked about a brilliant last week for Chelsea, from securing Champions League football with their domestic win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend, to this.
“It has been amazing. We have achieved everything we wanted to do. It feels amazing winning my first European competition with Chelsea, hopefully many more to go. And getting Champions League for next season, I don't think you can get any better than that.”
Badiashile 'laid the foundations for me' - Levi Colwill
22:38 , Flo CliffordLevi Colwill now has a chat with TNT Sports. “To be the first club to have won everything possible, you can see the fans celebrating now and it shows how much it means to them,” he says.
“We knew they were going to be a good team, especially at the start with their fans pushing them on, but we knew it was going to die off. We just had to wait and pick our moments and that is what we did in the second half.
“Watching from the bench you can see where the spaces are and how you can help the team. When I came on for Benny [Badiashile] I could see he was working so hard and then the gaps were open. He did that for me, laid the foundations for me.”
'We go again in the Champions League' - James
22:26 , Flo Clifford“It's a great feeling,” James continues. “As the game went on we grew into it and thankfully we scored four goals in the second half.
“Coming into it, this competition was something we had to win.
“Next season we go again in the Champions League.”
'Devastating' to not start - Reece James
22:20 , Flo CliffordLet’s hear from the Chelsea pair of captain Reece James and Cole Palmer. James looks pretty pleased; Palmer looks completely unbothered, as per usual.
James says: “It's devastating to find out you're not starting a final. I want to play every game, but it was the manager's decision.
“I needed to accept it and move on and come on if I was needed. In the first half, we were very flat.
“We needed a reaction in the second half, and we got it.”
Chelsea are the 2025 Conference League champions
22:16 , Flo CliffordScenes of joy as Reece James collects the trophy and lifts it aloft, with the sparklers and glitter cannons going off. ‘We are the Champions’ rings out as the players take it in turns to wave it in front of the jubilant fans.
Trophy ceremony
22:12 , Flo CliffordChelsea’s players are lined up waiting to receive the trophy and applaud Pellegrini and the Betis squad up to get their runners-up medals.
TNT Sports comms note that Reece James went over to Malo Gusto as if to say, ‘chin up’ after the game, following his disappointing first half and half-time exit. A nice moment from the captain.
Chelsea player ratings as Palmer and Sancho star in Conference League final triumph over Real Betis
22:09 , Flo CliffordChelsea completed an impressive 4-1 victory over Real Betis in the Conference League final to claim a first trophy of the Enzo Maresca era.
The Blues were pretty dismal in the first half in Wroclaw and deservedly trailed 1-0 but were a side transformed after the break. Cole Palmer’s creativity created goals for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson before the impressive Jadon Sancho came off the bench to add a third and Moises Caicedo completed the victory with a fourth in injury time.
It means the Blues become the first team in history to have won every single major European trophy, as the Conference League crown was added to previous successes in the Champions League, Europa League and European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Here’s how the Chelsea players rated as they completed the European trophy set with Conference League victory over Betis:
Chelsea player ratings as Palmer and Sancho star in Conference League final triumph
Chelsea 4-1 Real Betis
22:04 , Flo CliffordHighly contrasting scenes in Wroclaw. The Betis fans and players alike are in tears. Chelsea are leaping up and down in front of their visiting fans and thoroughly enjoying ‘Freed from Desire’.
FULL-TIME: Chelsea 4-1 Real Betis
21:55 , Flo Clifford90+5 mins: Chelsea’s bench sprint onto the pitch and the celebrations begin!
Chelsea are the first club to win every one of the major European trophies... although they’d probably have preferred to not drop down to Conference League level in the first place.
Chelsea 4-1 Real Betis
21:54 , Flo Clifford90+5 mins: Some of the Betis fans are in tears, in fact. The Chelsea bench are popping corks.
And that’s it!
Chelsea 4-1 Real Betis
21:53 , Flo Clifford90+4 mins: Bartra launches a speculative attempt over the bar. The Betis fans look close to tears. No doubt it would mean considerably more to them than the Chelsea fans in the stands.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-1 Real Betis
21:51 , Flo Clifford90 mins: Five minutes added on in Wroclaw - and Chelsea have a fourth!
This time it’s Caicedo, who latches on to a pass from Fernandez down the left channel, and slots his finish past Adrian, via a minor deflection off Natan.
Chelsea 3-1 Real Betis
21:49 , Flo Clifford89 mins: Antony gets a yellow card for some argy-bargy with a horde of Chelsea players. Looks like he took offence to Fernandez after the Argentine hit the deck from a challenge, refused to accept the hand offered to help him up, and proceeded to headbutt the Brazilian from the ground.
Chelsea 3-1 Real Betis
21:47 , Flo Clifford87 mins: Some housekeeping: Lo Celso in on for Fornals. Sancho was booked for whipping off his shirt with glee after scoring what is presumably the winner.
Palmer, with two assists in the bag, goes off for Marc Guiu.
Chelsea 3-1 Real Betis
21:45 , Flo Clifford86 mins: Suddenly Betis have a chance of their own: Rodriguez is in space on the edge of the box but James clatters into him to make the crucial block. There are appeals for handball, but nothing doing.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-1 Real Betis
21:43 , Flo Clifford83 mins: And that surely is the game wrapped up!
It’s Chelsea’s super-subs combining: Dewsbury-Hall sends Cardoso the wrong way in the centre, laying the ball off to Sancho. He cuts inside past Sabaly and curls a stunning finish into the top right corner! Betis look crushed.
Chelsea 2-1 Real Betis
21:40 , Flo Clifford81 mins: Ah, Palmer kicked the ball out the way when Jackson went down. Considering all the challenges the referee has chosen to ignore so far, that seems an odd choice of incident to come down hard on.
Chelsea 2-1 Real Betis
21:39 , Flo Clifford80 mins: It looked like Jackson cramped up there; he goes down and is now limping off, to be replaced by Dewsbury-Hall. Palmer has been booked, for some reason I cannot decipher.
Chelsea 2-1 Real Betis
21:37 , Flo Clifford78 mins: Having said that, Betis have the ball in Chelsea’s box, but Cardoso overthings it and the move is snuffed out. Chelsea have plenty of bodies there and play it forward to Jackson; he’s one-on-one against Adrian, who actually slips, but the Senegalese overruns and the keeper collects easily.
Chelsea 2-1 Real Betis
21:36 , Flo Clifford75 mins: Betis have made a change too: Bakambu is off for Aitor Ruibal, who’s hard to miss with half-and-half pink and blue hair.
Chelsea are seeing nearly all of the ball. Betis look out of ideas.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Real Betis
21:31 , Flo Clifford70 mins: Chelsea turn it around! It’s Palmer again as provider, turning it around on the right side of the box and crossing in for Jackson, who chests it down into the net - but there’s an appeal for handball against the striker, who essentially scored that with the front of his shoulder.
Chelsea 1-1 Real Betis
21:29 , Flo Clifford70 mins: It’s all Chelsea now and they fancy another one. Maresca’s subs have done the trick in this half.
Palmer has a go with an absolute screamer from range but Adrian jumps to it!
Betis string together a rare attack in this half, again it’s all Isco, but a Chelsea shirt makes the crucial block in the box.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Real Betis
21:26 , Flo Clifford65 mins: Well, you can’t say it hasn’t been coming. Fernandez times his run well to land on the end of a Palmer cross from the right, ducking in between Bartra and Sabaly to knock it past Adrian. All square in Wroclaw!
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
21:24 , Flo Clifford65 mins: Chelsea have looked much better in this half and a lot more controlled. Betis have sat back considerably more. They’ve only got a fragile lead.
Madueke has switched to the right flank.
Palmer looks promising as he cuts into the box but a Betis defender hacks it clear.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
21:21 , Flo Clifford62 mins: Pedro Neto catches Perraud late. The former Saints man thinks it’s worth a dramatic fall to the turf. Neto feigns innocence, and that’s his last act of the match. He’s replaced by Jadon Sancho.
Badiashile comes off too, for Levi Colwill.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
21:17 , Flo Clifford58 mins: VAR agree no penalty, just a corner. It falls to James eventually who has a brilliant chance but it deflects wide for another corner!
This time Chelsea get it to Jackson, but his low strike doesn’t trouble Adrian.
Betis counter, but work it wide and it fizzles out.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
21:15 , Flo Clifford57 mins: Madueke runs down the left flank and floats in a great long ball to Jackson. The keeper comes off his line to punch it clear and there’s a clash of heads with both players down. The Chelsea players are not happy at all; there’s a quick check for a penalty but no dice. Both Jackson and Adrian are up quickly and look alright, thankfully.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
21:12 , Flo Clifford53 mins: Just before that, Pedro Neto put in a crunching challenge on Perraud, and now Jackson gets a warning from the ref for a high boot on Bartra, scraping down his shoulder. He’s a bit theatrical going to ground.
Ezzalzouli, Betis’ goalscorer and most threatening player so far, has been limping for a while and he comes off now for Jesus Rodriguez, applauding the travelling support and tapping his badge. That’s a bit of a reprieve for Chelsea, but his replacement has quite the turn of pace himself.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
21:09 , Flo Clifford50 mins: Better counter-attack by Chelsea, Jackson runs onto a long ball forward and cuts it back from the byline but neither Palmer nor Fernandez are there. He’s been rather isolated at the top of Chelsea’s formation.
The flag goes up anyway.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
21:07 , Flo Clifford48 mins: Neto tries to get to a Chelsea cross down the right but it’s intercepted by a Betis shirt. Chelsea are trying to make a fast start to this half but the Betis defence are holding firm at the moment.
James floats a good ball to the far post but there’s no-one in space to receive it.
SECOND HALF: Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
21:04 , Flo Clifford46 mins: James is the only player in this Chelsea squad who featured in the 2021 Champions League final, per TNT Sports.
One change for Betis too: Romain Perraud comes on for Ricardo Rodriguez in defence.
Back underway in Poland.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
21:03 , Flo CliffordThe players are out for the second half. Maresca had to make changes after that showing and he has: Reece James is on for the suffering Malo Gusto.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:49 , Flo Clifford45+1 mins: That’s that, Real Betis lead at the break in Wroclaw courtesy of a beautiful finish by Ezzalzouli, and the Spaniards deserve to.
Fernandez gets into a bit of a spat with Bartra at the half-time whistle.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:48 , Flo Clifford45 mins: Slightly frenzied end to this half as Chelsea hunt desperately for an equaliser. One minute added on. A Fernandez attempt takes a deflection, Adrian runs to collect but it goes out for a Chelsea corner. Fernandez’s delivery is good and Chalobah rises to meet it but it’s headed clear.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:45 , Flo Clifford43 mins: Caicedo in fact does not get a booking! Just the free-kick, wild.
Jorgensen collects the delivery from Antony but spills it; Natan rushes back for the rebound but Chelsea clear and look to counter before Fornals makes an immaculate block.
Now Chelsea counter again and Adrian throws his entire body in the way to deny Fernandez. That looked painful.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:42 , Flo Clifford41 mins: Caicedo goes into the book for a crunching challenge on Isco. Chelsea protest but no dice. Free-kick to Real Betis on the left, about 30 yards out from goal. Antony and Isco stand poised to take.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:40 , Flo Clifford39 mins: Chelsea are dealing better with Betis’ threat down the right. Isco attempts a difficult pass forward with Ezzalzouli and Bakambu in the box, but Chelsea get bodies back and Jorgensen collects.
Palmer looks for Jackson as Chelsea counter and the Blues look a little brighter, but it’s hoicked clear.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:38 , Flo Clifford35 mins: Dreadful. Gusto runs in behind and holds things up before squaring to Neto on the right, but he launches an attempt up into the stands.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:34 , Flo Clifford32 mins: Isco has a chance from the corner but Chelsea manage to clear the danger and look to counter, but their patient play takes too long and Betis get numbers back in time. Palmer crosses and Natan heads it clear.
Better from Chelsea though and they win a corner of their own, but go short and Gusto’s cross is blocked. Maresca has his head in his hands.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:31 , Flo Clifford30 mins: Ezzalzouli is such a livewire for Real Betis. The Morrocan darts down the left again but Gusto times a sliding challenge right and the ball deflects into the side netting for a corner.
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:27 , Flo Clifford25 mins: Gusto stamps wholly unnecessarily on Ezzalzouli’s foot and the Moroccan goes down.
Chelsea get lucky with Bakambu in the box and the Spaniards threatening once again, with Cucurella scrambling to clear; now Bartra slides in to rob Jackson with the Senegal striker counter-attacking alone and pushing into the Betis box.
CHANCE! Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:23 , Flo Clifford21 mins: Palmer is dispossessed by Isco on the edge of the box and the five-time Champions League winner runs away with it. Betis build patiently, Ezzalzouli is in space to score down the left but pulls it back for Sabaly, it should be a second goal but he skies it over the bar!
Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:20 , Flo Clifford19 mins: Bartra trips Jackson and wags his finger as the referee blows his whistle. Irfan Peljto, tonight’s ref, has been pretty quick on the trigger tonight.
Chelsea have had a fair bit of possession as they look to settle into this. They knock the ball about for a bit before Betis counter, but Badiashile powers down the right to win it back.
CHANCE! Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:15 , Flo Clifford14 mins: Chelsea are looking a bit nervous at the back. Gusto was at fault for giving the ball away leading to Ezzalzouli’s goal, and now Chalobah is nearly caught out by Bakambu but the striker fails to control the ball.
Real Betis look so dangerous and now there’s a great save by Jorgensen! Bartra curls a brilliant shot goalward from 30 yards out but the Chelsea shot-stopper leaps to tip it over the bar.
GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Real Betis
20:11 , Flo Clifford9 mins: Real Betis take the lead! Chelsea back off and the Spaniards take advantage, Isco lays off a lovely no-look pass to Ezzalzouli in the centre of the box. He takes a touch and hammers it low into the bottom corner. Lovely finish.
Chelsea 0-0 Real Betis
20:09 , Flo Clifford8 mins: Both teams are showing plenty of attacking intent so far. Palmer makes a good run down the left but boots a tame shot straight at Adrian. Down the other end Ezzalzouli lays the ball off for Isco on the overlap; he floats in another cross, but Jorgensen collects before Bakambu can get on it.
End to end stuff.
Chelsea 0-0 Real Betis
20:07 , Flo Clifford5 mins: Ezzalzouli’s has already got into dangerous spots down the left flank a few times and makes another good run, with plenty of teammates in the box. He crosses in but Anthony’s header is off target.
Chelsea 0-0 Real Betis
20:04 , Flo Clifford2 mins: The whistle is blown almost as soon as we start, as Ezzalzouli aims to get on the end of Isco’s long pass, but is beaten to it by Chalobah and catches the defender’s hand with his boot as he wins the ball.
Adrian kicks the ball out of play under pressure from Jackson, back and in the starting line-up after getting sent off against Newcastle recently.
KICK-OFF: Chelsea v Real Betis
20:01 , Flo CliffordAnd we’re underway! Chelsea are looking to kickstart a new era of European glory and complete the full set of continental trophies; Real Betis for their very first European title.
Let’s go!
Nearly kick-off...
19:58 , Flo CliffordThe teams are out on the pitch. Cole Palmer’s mascot does the ‘cold’ celebration.
Team news reminder
19:55 , Flo CliffordCHELSEA XI: Jorgensen, Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella, Enzo, Caicedo, Palmer, Neto, Madueke, Jackson
REAL BETIS XI: Adrian, Sabaly, Bartra, Natan, Rodriguez, Cardoso, Fornals, Isco, Ezzalzouli, Bakambu, Antony
Countdown to kickoff
19:52 , Flo Clifford
An ill omen for Chelsea...
19:50 , Flo CliffordSky Sports note that all 23 Champions League, Europa League or Conference League finals that have featured Spanish teams since the 2001-2 season, have been won by a Spanish team.
Could Chelsea break that streak tonight?
'They all deserve to play' - Enzo Maresca
19:45 , Flo Clifford“It's been very difficult to pick a team. All the boys deserve to play in this game, I've said that to the boys,” Maresca tells TNT Sports.
“We've played games in six or seven different countries during the season to play games.
“They all deserve it, and today has been a little bit complicated for the first XI, but hopefully it's the right one.”
'We will try to have the personality to win the game' - Manuel Pellegrini
19:40 , Flo CliffordReal Betis boss Manuel Pellegrini tells TNT Sports, “For me the first step is to win tonight. For Betis now is the first time we are playing a [European] final which is not easy to manage, but I am sure that from the first minute we will try to have the personality to win the game.
“These fans are unbelievable, for me very similar to West Ham, we always have 50,000 people behind us and if you have a big stadium you will play with 70,000. Betis fans are exactly the same. They are always with the team every time we play. Our stadium is always full. We need to win this game for them.”
Chelsea can 'win games in an uglier way' - Enzo Maresca
19:30 , Flo Clifford“It's a final, an important game - but we try to prepare the same way we have all season,” Enzo Maresca tells TNT Sports.
“We started to win games in an 'uglier' way, which we struggled with at the start of the season. In Forest away, it's a difficult place to go, and we were very happy to win.”
Antony’s Real Betis form sparks bidding war as Spanish giants enter race
19:20 , Flo CliffordAtletico Madrid are interested in signing Antony from Manchester United this summer after the Brazilian's revelatory performances on loan at Real Betis.
The 25-year-old has earned admiration for his form in Spain and a brilliant strike against Valencia on Friday night made it eight goals and five assists in 24 matches across La Liga and Europa Conference League.
Should they beat Chelsea in the final of the Conference League, Antony will have become a Betis legend for firing them to only their third trophy this century, and sixth in all.
Antony’s Real Betis form sparks bidding war as Spanish giants enter race
Team news - Real Betis
19:11 , Flo CliffordChelsea’s opponents tonight are fielding a team stacked with talent formerly of the Premier League. The most obvious is Antony, on loan from Manchester United, but the starting line-up includes Adrian - former goalkeeper at West Ham and Liverpool - and another ex-West Ham man in Pablo Fornals. Former Spurs player Giovanni Lo Celso and one-time Saints defender Romain Perraud are on the bench, too.
Team news - Chelsea
19:01 , Flo CliffordChelsea manager Enzo Maresca has made five changes from their win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Nicolas Jackson, suspended for that game, is recalled, while Filip Jorgensen starts in goal ahead of Robert Sanchez
Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile are all in the starting line-up, coming in for Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill and captain Reece James.
Jadon Sancho drops to the bench.
Line-ups - Real Betis
18:58 , Flo CliffordReal Betis XI: Adrian, Sabaly, Bartra, Natan, Rodriguez, Cardoso, Fornals, Isco, Ezzalzouli, Bakambu, Antony
Substitutes: Vieites, Gonzalez, Perraud, Altimira, Lo Celso, Ruibal, Mendy, Rodriguez, Ortiz, Flores, Garcia
Line-ups - Chelsea
18:55 , Flo CliffordChelsea XI: Jorgensen, Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella, Enzo, Caicedo, Palmer, Neto, Madueke, Jackson
Substitutes: Sanchez, Bergstron, Tosin, Colwill, Acheampong, James, Amougou, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Sancho, Nkunku, Guiu
Youthful Chelsea ready for Conference League triumph, says Enzo Maresca
18:55 , Flo CliffordChelsea head coach Enzo Maresca told his team they can defy their critics and demonstrate beyond doubt that they have come of age when they face Real Betis in Wednesday's Conference League final in Wroclaw.
The Italian issued a stinging rebuke on Sunday to those he believes had lacked faith in his squad - which is the youngest in Premier League history - following their 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest that secured Champions League football for next season, telling anyone who had doubted his team to "eff off."
Youthful Chelsea ready for Conference League triumph, says Enzo Maresca
Chelsea identify top striker target after Champions League boost
18:40 , Flo CliffordChelsea have discussed a move for Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike, as they hone transfer plans now that they have qualified for the 2025/26 Champions League.
Victory at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, to round out the Premier League 2024/25 campaign, thanks to Levi Colwill’s goal, has handed Enzo Maresca’s side a boost.
With Nicolas Jackson suspended for the final two games and Marc Guiu just 18 years of age, Chelsea had been left short in attack.
The club are now actively targeting a striker in the market with the French star high on their list, though they also have significant interest in Sporting's Viktor Gyokeres and Ipswich Town's Liam Delap.
Chelsea identify top striker target after Champions League boost
Enzo Maresca raises complaint over Conference League final advantage handed to Real Betis
18:25 , Flo CliffordChelsea manager Enzo Maresca expressed his disapproval that Real Betis will be afforded two extra days of rest ahead of the Conference League final after La Liga accepted a request to reschedule a fixture.
The two sides meet in Wroclaw on Wednesday 28 May in the competition decider and had both been due to play their final games of their league campaigns on Sunday.
However the Seville club’s encounter with Valencia was brought forward to Friday evening, giving Manuel Pellegrini’s side extra preparation time ahead of the trip to Poland.
Enzo Maresca raises complaint over Conference League final advantage handed to Betis
How a Conference League crown could kickstart Chelsea’s new winning era
18:15 , Flo CliffordIt might be the achievement that doubles up as an indictment. Chelsea could complete the European grand slam, becoming the first club to win each of the Champions League, Europa League, (now defunct) Cup Winners’ Cup and the recent innovation of the Conference League.
It is, though, a trophy that Real Madrid may never lift, by the simple dint of never entering the competition. Of the four other clubs who did the old treble of European Cup, Uefa Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup, Bayern Munich feel unlikely to make a Conference League debut. Ajax and Juventus would be unhappy to be in it; for Manchester United, however, it could be a step up.
For Chelsea, though, a night in Wroclaw has an importance that goes beyond a statistical uniqueness. For Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, the least of the European trophies would be the first of their ownership. Lose to Real Betis in Poland and it will be three years without silverware. For now, the unavoidable comparisons are with their predecessors.
Read Richard Jolly’s full preview of tonight’s clash here:
How a Conference League crown could kickstart Chelsea’s new winning era
Early team news - Real Betis
18:05 , Flo CliffordHector Bellerin picked up a hamstring injury in the semi-final second leg win over Fiorentina that has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Manuel Pellegrini will also be missing Marc Roca, Diego Llorente and Chimy Avila with injuries, while Giovani Lo Celso may be another absentee after a muscular issue which meant he missed training on Saturday.
Youssouf Sabaly and Johnny Cardoso could return after minor knocks, however.
Early team news - Chelsea
17:55 , Flo CliffordThe Blues will be without Wesley Fofana, whose season was cut short by surgery after a muscular injury. Romeo Lavia is back and fit, but the midfielder is not registered to play in the Conference League.
Nicolas Jackson missed Chelsea’s Premier League win over Nottingham Forest through suspension but will be available tonight. Christopher Nkunku missed the match with a knock and is unlikely to return in time for this game.
When is Chelsea vs Real Betis?
17:45 , Flo CliffordThe Europa League final is on 28 May at Stadion Miejski, Wroclaw, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm BST.
How to watch the Europa League final for free
17:40 , Flo CliffordViewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1 or TNT Sports Ultimate with coverage beginning at 6pm BST, though you will need a subscription for TNT Sports. Subscribers via Discovery+ Premium, EE, Sky or Virgin Media TV can also take in all the build-up and in-game coverage. But there is a live stream online made available for free through the Discovery+ app.
Subscribers will also have access to the match but those without a subscription can download the app and register their details without signing up for a subscription.
Prime Video customers with the basic Discovery+ account will be able to watch the Uefa finals on the Prime Video app.
But viewers without Discovery+ just need to download the app, register their details online, and enjoy the games for free. No subscriptions are required.
Chelsea vs Real Betis LIVE
17:35 , Flo CliffordChelsea will hope to see out what has been a straightforward European campaign with silverware as they take on Real Betis in the Conference League final.
The Blues booked their place in next season’s Champions League on Sunday and Enzo Maresca will look to harness the momentum gained from the City Ground and bring it to Wroclaw, where they face an ambitious Betis side.
Having stormed through the league phase a knockout stages, beating Swedish outfit Djurgarden to reach the final, an unprecedented accolade is on the line for the Blues as they face the prospect of becoming the first team to complete a European grand slam - which entails winning each of the Champions League, Europa League, (now defunct) Cup Winners’ Cup and the recent innovation of the Conference League.
However, Manuel Pellegrini’s side will stand in their way, powered by ex-Real Madrid sensation and Manchester United loanee Antony, who is enjoying a new lease of life in Spain.
Chelsea vs Real Betis LIVE
11:49 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe summer swing of European football finals continues with Chelsea taking on Real Betis in the Conference League decider in Wroclaw. After long-awaited triumphs for Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League and Tottenham in the Europa League, will there be yet more English success as another London club seek their first trophy under Enzo Maresca?
Kick off is at 8pm BST.
