Conference League Crown Caps Rebuilding Season for Chelsea

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Chelsea players in action
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After securing Champions League football for next season through a top-five finish in the Premier League, Enzo Maresca was able to tick off his main objective for the season. Winning the Conference League was always less of a priority, but a welcome icing on the cake nonetheless as you can never have too much silverware.

In this article will take a look at what the Conference League win means for both Maresca and Chelsea, and what impact it may have going forward into next season.

The Final Itself


For those of you who did not watch the game, the scoreline may suggest it was a complete walk in the park for Chelsea, but this is not a fair assessment of the match. In fact, the Blues went into the half-time break 1-0 down due to Abdessamad Ezzalzouli’s ninth-minute strike for Betis. It was no less than the Spaniards deserved, either, having been the better side in the opening 45 minutes.

At half-time, Maresca made a much-needed tactical swap and replaced the struggling Malo Gusto for Reece James. This helped sure things up, but it took a moment of magic in the form of a wonderful cross from Cole Pamer, headed in by Enzo Fernandez, before the Blues could equalise. Buoyed by this goal, Chelsea rallied, and they quickly got a second thanks to another brilliant Palmer delivery.

Clinical finishes from Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo rounded off the win as the game stretched, but such an emphatic scoreline flattered the Blues who only produced a little more xG than Betis (1.32 vs 1.07). Palmer ultimately made the difference and without him, perhaps the Spaniards would have held onto their narrow lead.

Chelsea Set European Record as Final Record Improves Further


By securing victory in the Conference League, Chelsea have become the first side to win four different major European tournaments (Cup Winners’ Cup, Champions League, Europa League and Conference League). They are also the first team to have won the latter three, which gives their trophy cabinet some wonderful variety.

Also with the win, Chelsea put an end to Spain’s long dominance in European finals. The Blues became the first non-Spanish team to beat a Spanish team in a European showpiece since Bayern Munich defeated Valencia on penalties in 2001. By ending this truly incredible run, Chelsea further boosted their own imposing record in continental finals.

Triumph in Wroclaw means that the Londoners have won seven of eight European deciders they have been involved in. The only exception was their 2008 Champions League final clash with Manchester United, which they only lost on penalties. With a record like this, Chelsea are perhaps not a team you want to bet against next time they reach a European final.

How Much Does the Conference League Win Matter?

Europa Conference League flag
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All things considered, this is not a major victory for a side like Chelsea. Conference League winners qualify for the Europa League, but this does not benefit the Blues as they booked their place in the superior Champions League. In terms of prestige, winning Europe’s third-best club tournament does little to boost the Blues’ standing or indicate they are back on the right track. This is something they have demonstrated with their fourth-place finish in the Premier League, however.

As for the financial impact, the Blues earned around £15m for winning the competition. While this is not spare change, it is not the sort of money that will make a great deal of difference to the club’s financial health. Plus, most of the money had been secured prior to the final. Winning in the final itself only earned around £2.5m extra compared to being runners-up. Securing a return to the Champions League is much more valuable, which is why it was Maresca’s bigger priority this year.

Conference League

Although Chelsea’s triumph in Poland is not a ‘big deal’ in most respects, this is not to say there are not positives to take from it, as you can see below.

Maresca Boosts Job Security

After securing a Champions League return, Maresca’s job was not thought to be under threat whatsoever, regardless of what happened in the Conference League final. Still, winning the competition will do his reputation absolutely no harm and perhaps instil even more confidence in him as the club prepares for next season.

With Chelsea favourites for the final, Maresca may have caught some flak if he oversaw a defeat, but losing to a club like Real Betis would have been far from embarrassing. The same cannot be said however, if the Blues had been dumped out of the competition at any earlier point, given the level of clubs they faced. Being eliminated by the likes of Djurgarden or Legia Warsaw would have reflected very poorly on the manager, so he has avoided any possible knock to his reputation by going all the way.

Palmer Returns to Old-Self

By his own high standards, Palmer had been enduring a very underwhelming end to the season. Between the middle of January and the final league game of the campaign, the Englishman registered just one goal, and even that one came from the penalty spot. Assists, as well as goals, had dried up too. Partly this was due to wasteful finishing from his teammates, but it was mainly his fault that he managed just four assists across competitions in 2025 ahead of the Conference League final.

It was, therefore, a much-welcome sight to see Palmer shine against Real Betis. Although he did not grab a goal, the 23-year-old collected two superb assists on his way to earning the Player of the Match award. Ending the season on such a high note could do wonders for Palmer’s confidence coming into next term. Particularly, if you are to believe Maresca’s comments in April that Palmer’s massively reduced output was “a mental thing”.

Ending the Mini-Trophy Drought

Chelsea would have made it four seasons without a major piece of silverware (or three if you consider the Club World Cup to meet this ‘major’ threshold) had they lost the Conference League final. While this is by no means a long drought, it is nice for them to reset the clock before it goes on much longer. Four years can very quickly become five or six, at which point, for a club of Chelsea’s stature, it starts to become a bit of a stick to beat them with.