Chelsea roar back to beat Real Betis in UEFA Conference League final
WROCLAW - Chelsea roared back to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Conference League final in Wroclaw on Wednesday, becoming the first club to complete a clean sweep of European trophies.
Manuel Pellegrini's enterprising Betis caught the favourites cold with an early goal from Abde Ezzalzouli against a flat-footed and listless Chelsea.
But Enzo Maresca's second-half substitutions injected energy and Cole Palmer changed the complexion of the game in a five-minute spell, setting up Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson to score.
Substitute Jadon Sancho made the game safe in the 83rd minute as the Spanish side faded in their first European final and Moises Caicedo added gloss to the scoreline.
Chelsea are the first club to win the full set of five UEFA club tournaments -- the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup and the now-defunct Cup Winners' Cup.
They have also won their first silverware since Todd Boehly's consortium took over from former owner Roman Abramovich in 2022, following an era of unprecedented success for the club.
Boehly was on the pitch at the end, savouring the win that seemed unlikely when Betis were in control in the first half.
Chelsea have ended the season with a flourish after also securing a place in next season's Champions League following a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League.
Maresca, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped Conference League glory would be a launchpad for the club.
"The club have invested lots of money in the last three or four years, so they are also waiting for results," Maresca told TNT Sports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
7 hours ago
- The South African
Orlando Pirates sign X-factor player: Contract details revealed!
Orlando Pirates have reportedly closed out a smart bit of business! The Buccaneers have added a new dimension to their attack in the form of raw pace and skill! Last season, Orlando Pirates desperately missed some x-factor nature in their attack. Make no mistake, the likes of Relebohile Mofokeng, Kabelo Dlamini and Mohau Nkota are all brilliant footballers. However Monnapule Saleng's absence was indeed felt. Now, the club have landed a similar type of player! READ MORE • Kaizer Chiefs star left out of European tour as another exit looms! READ MORE • Pirates name their asking price for Relebohile Mofokeng! Orlando Pirates have completed the signing of 24-year-old AmaZulu FC winger Tshepang Moremi. Moremi has put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal at the Buccaneers with an option to extend. 'After the speculation about his future, Bafana Bafana attacker Tshepang Moremi has finally put pen-to-paper on a deal with Orlando Pirates,' an insider told KickOff . 'Moremi has signed a three-year deal with Pirates after AmaZulu gave him blessings to move to Gauteng next season.' READ MORE • Mokwena sends crushing message to Kaizer Chiefs fans! To close the gap on rivals Mamelodi Sundowns, who else do you think Orlando Pirates should sign? The Buccaneers will be competing in five competitions next season and will need as much fire-power as possible. Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@ or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @ TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.
The South African
12 hours ago
- The South African
Chelsea lead race to sign 13-year-old South African wonderkid
Premier League giants Chelsea are reportedly leading the race to sign highly-rated 13-year-old South African prodigy Camden Schaper, currently on the books of Blackburn Rovers. Chelsea appear to have beaten off competition from several English heavyweights, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool, all of whom had expressed interest in the talented teenager. Camden, who began his career with SuperSport United in South Africa, first grabbed national attention when he captained their U11 side on a tour of Spain in 2021. The youngster's technical prowess and leadership qualities turned heads, with Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon reportedly monitoring his development at the time. Now based in the UK with his family, the Benoni-born midfielder has been impressing at youth level for Blackburn, reportedly earning a £700 000 (R17 million) valuation. Manchester City were thought to be favourites to secure Camden's signature, particularly since his younger brother Astin Schaper is already in their academy. However, Chelsea have now emerged as frontrunners, with reports indicating that the deal is all but done. Camden came close to joining Manchester United in 2020, but Covid-19-related restrictions and foreign transfer regulations put the move on ice. Should the move to Chelsea materialise, Camden would join a growing list of South African youngsters making waves in England, including: Thorsten Brits – Goalkeeper, Manchester City – Goalkeeper, Manchester City Samuel Archer – Goalkeeper, Tottenham Hotspur – Goalkeeper, Tottenham Hotspur Elyh Harrison – Goalkeeper, Manchester United (recently featured on the bench for the first team) Chelsea have not yet officially confirmed the deal. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
TimesLIVE
14 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
With Euro teams feeling heat in the US, are Dortmund vulnerable against Sundowns?
Mamelodi Sundowns meet a Borussia Dortmund at the Club World Cup who were not their best selves in the 2024-2025 season, though clashing against a mildly off-pale version of the Bundesliga giants is still a formidable undertaking. Sundowns meet Borussia in their second Group F clash at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday (noon Ohio time, 6pm SA time). Downs got off to the best start in the new 32-team format of the Fifa Club World Cup (CWC) in the US, beating Ulsan HD of South Korea 1-0 in Orlando on Tuesday night. Borussia were a little flat, being the less convincing side of a 0-0 draw against Fluminense in New Jersey, though that was one of the matches played in noon heat to hit prime time for European TV audiences. Still, there is a sense that while there have been big score mismatches between giants and minnows at the 2025 CWC, perhaps the European teams are less enthusiastic about the huge prize-money expanded event. The increase from seven teams is controversial, as it adds more games to an already packed calendar for the world's top players, especially in Europe. Iqraam Rayners takes his scoring form to the FIFA #CWC2025 ⚽🎯 Watch the FIFA #CWC2025 live in various language options on SuperSport 🗣️🎙️ 📺 Stream #FIFACWC on DStv: #SSFootball | @DAZNFootball — SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 18, 2025 Some of the results indicate as much — Real Madrid were held to a draw by Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal and Inter Miami, albeit with Lionel Messi in their ranks, beat FC Porto on Thursday night. In contrast, the far less rich South American teams, especially from Brazil, whose four clubs remain unbeaten, seem up for fighting for a share of the staggering $1bn (R18.03bn) prize pot and not so put off by the midsummer US heat. Botafogo provided a third upset at the CWC, stunning European champions Paris Saint-Germain — a team almost unbeatable in the second half of last season — on Thursday. Sundowns would love to provide the fourth upset of the tournament with a win or draw on Saturday. They might just have a sniff at that. 🤌🤌🤌 — Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) June 18, 2025 For one, Downs are boosted by having become the first African team to win in the US. The result might have been against the other minnows of Group F, but Sundowns lost twice against Asian clubs at their only other CWC in Japan in 2016 — 2-0 against Kashima Antlers and 4-1 against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. So the Pretoria side can take their opening result as evidence their years of striving to be competitive in the Caf Champions League for almost a decade since Osaka 2016 has hardened them in international competition. The match is again at noon for Borussia (Downs' opener against Ulsan was played at 7pm Florida time, 1am in SA). Though Sundowns went to the US from the South African winter, they are accustomed to hot conditions as the Premier Soccer League is played through an African midsummer. Coach Miguel Cardoso's Brazilians might try to exploit the conditions. And perhaps there is a touch of vulnerability to this Dortmund. They had a poor 2024-25 Bundesliga campaign, though rallied from when third manager of the season Niko Kovac arrived in February, winning seven of their last eight games to end fourth and clinch a Champions League place. It says much of Dortmund's quality that they reached the 2024-25 Uefa Champions League semifinals. Again there is a hint of brittleness that they were dismantled 4-0 there, though admittedly to a quality team in Hansi Flick's resurgent young Spanish champions Barcelona. It should still be a mismatch on Saturday. Dortmund compete in one of the world's top four leagues in the Bundesliga and regularly challenge for honours in the Uefa Champions League, the world's toughest continental club competition. There are also plenty of world-class performers in Kovac's Borussia line-up. Three top Borussia Dortmund players Serhou Guirassy The towering 29-year-old Guinean striker was a threat against Fluminense, but he couldn't bury his chances, so he'll be determined to make amends against Sundowns. A marksman in peak form, he scored an impressive 21 goals from 30 Bundesliga outings in the 2024-2025 season, joint-second behind Bayern Munich's Harry Kane (26). The season before Guirassy was top scorer with 28 goals. He is a versatile striker admired for his physical strength, aerial ability and strong finishing, particularly in the box. He mainly plays as a traditional No 9, holding up the ball and linking play. Karim Adeyemi Adeyemi was arguably Dortmund's best player against Fluminense, penetrating through the left flank. The 23-year-old German right winger scored seven goals and managed six assists in the Bundesliga campaign. Adeyemi is a speedy and direct attacker known for his dribbling and finishing abilities. He excels in counterattacking situations and can play as a centre-forward and second striker, though he's primarily a winger. Adeyemi's ambidextrous nature and skill taking on defenders makes him a dangerous man, especially in one-on-one situations. Marcel Sabitzer Sabitzer, 31, is one of the most experienced figures in the Dortmund squad, having played more than 400 Bundesliga games. The former Bayern Munich star is admired for his all-action style of play and the ability to contribute in multiple roles across the engine room.
