After a 1,201-day trophy drought, Chelsea became Conference League champions, promising to usher in a new era for the club with a more prominent position in domestic and international competitions.
With two crucial victories in three days, Chelsea salvaged their season, securing a top-four finish in the Premier League and winning the Conference League.
Touching the miracle
Few people had high hopes for Chelsea's victory in the Conference League final in Poland on the morning of May 29th, after they trailed Betis for over an hour. Considered the strongest contender in Europe's third-tier competition, Chelsea didn't immediately show the characteristics of a champion. They nearly exited the competition last August when they participated in the play-off round against Servette. "The Blues" won 2-0 in the first leg at home and took an early 1-0 lead in the second leg in Switzerland.
However, when Servette scored two consecutive goals to reduce the deficit to 1-2 (making the aggregate score 2-3) in the 72nd minute of the second leg, Chelsea essentially resigned themselves to their fate until the final whistle. Having overcome that formidable obstacle, Chelsea officially became title contenders, only losing once more to Legia Warsaw in the entire tournament, as the second leg of the quarter-finals was merely a formality.
Despite being considered the favorites against Real Betis – a first-time European Cup finalist – Chelsea conceded a goal very early on. Once again, the weaknesses of "The Blues" were exposed, with a defense prone to errors and an attack that was very ineffective in creating scoring opportunities.
Chelsea came alive in the second half. Brilliant performances from Cole Palmer and Jadon Sancho paved the way for four goals from Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Moises Caicedo in the final half hour to secure a spectacular 4-1 victory.
The impressive comeback at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw helped Chelsea become the first team in history to win all five major UEFA club titles: the Cup Winners' Cup (formerly the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, twice), the Champions League (twice), the Europa League (twice), the UEFA Super Cup (twice), and now the Confederations League.
Cole Palmer is a key player for a young, resilient Chelsea team on its way back. (Photo: PREMIERLEAGUE)
A mark of talent
European media outlets have showered praise on Cole Palmer. The striker has scored only one goal since January 2025, but he provided two assists for Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson's goals against Betis.
Cole Palmer scored for England in the Euro 2022 final, but Spain won the trophy. Therefore, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this "sweet revenge" for Palmer.
Billionaire Todd Boehly and his partners took over Chelsea in 2022 from former owner Roman Abramovich, investing over £1 billion to upgrade the team, but only now have "The Blues" won their first title. Many stars worth tens, even hundreds of millions of pounds have come and gone or simply disappointed. Only the £37.5 million signing of Cole Palmer has proven to be the most effective.
Cole Palmer is not alone in his responsibility to help Chelsea quickly regain their status as a "giant" in English and European football. His teammates are all very young (the squad that played against Real Betis, except for Marc Cucurella, were all under 25), their playing style is wild and spontaneous, but they have Enzo Maresca, a masterful and easily molded coach.
Jadon Sancho is a prime example, and the former England international emerged from the shadows of two disappointing years with Man United to rise to glory with Chelsea. Under Enzo Maresca, Sancho has been reborn, gradually rediscovering the form that once captivated Europe when he played for Dortmund.
Sancho has been given a suitable role in Maresca's tactical system. His superb goal against Betis could be a turning point for Sancho's future this summer, helping him find a better club or secure a place at Chelsea.
Cole Palmer won't rest on his laurels as UEFA's "Man of the Final" award, as he and his teammates still have a very challenging task ahead of them.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/chuong-moi-cua-chelsea-196250529214540436.htm
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