Enzo Maresca put Chelseas slow start in their ultimately victorious Conference League final down to the mental efforts his side had put into securing Champions League football 72 hours earlier. And the Blues boss hopes achieving both targets can mark the beginning of something new at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea were abject in the opening 45 minutes in Wroclaw before the half-time introduction of Reece James re-invigorated Marescas men, and saw them score four second-half goals to wrap up a thumping 4-1 victory over Real Betis.
Real Betis 1-4 Chelsea: Match reportAs it happened | Teams | Match statsSky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next seasonNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Choose the sports notifications you want! 🔔Even ahead of the game, the head coach had already suspected the strain of playing such an important Premier League game at Nottingham Forest on Sunday may have a knock-on impact following their 1-0 win.
He told TNT Sports: In the first half, we approached the game in the wrong way. I expected it a little bit, because for two days the happiness was a little bit too much after Nottingham Forest. You go all season waiting, waiting.
We struggled a little bit with that, but the second half was much better. The message after Forest was that if we wanted to be an important team, what weve done is done and we have to win a final now.
That was the message, but theres the happiness, the tiredness. We played on Sunday for a big target, [Betis] played on Friday for nothing. They had 48 hours extra. I expected it a little bit, but in the second half we were much better and we were attacking in behind, which we didnt do before half-time.
Chelseas eventual 4-1 win made them the first team to win all of Europes major continental trophies and brought them their first silverware since the Club World Cup in February 2022. Since BlueCos takeover later that year the club has spent well in excess of £1bn on new signings, but have had little to show for it until securing their first Conference League title.
Coupled with a return to the Champions League after a two-year absence, Maresca is hopeful a domino effect is about to follow. Im very proud, and very happy, he said. I know the fans deserve it, theyve waited for a few years for good moments.
The club has invested a lot of money so theyve been waiting too. Hopefully, this can be a starting point and we can begin to create something important. The target for next season? Were going to try again.
Well enjoy it for a week or so, and then start looking ahead. James devastated not to start | Maresca: I would if I couldChelsea skipper James was a surprise omission from the starting line-up but played a major part in Chelseas second-half turnaround.
He had been left devastated to miss out on a place in the starting line-up, but Maresca said managing his minutes and fitness – after a wretched three years of numerous injuries – was the main driver behind starting him on the bench.
Its devastating to find out youre not starting a final, James told TNT Sports. I want to play every game, but it was the managers 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. Maresca said in response when asked about the decision to start James on the bench: I promise you, I would always start Reece but Im trying to protect him, Hes played more games this season than in the last two.
Hes happy, hes a top player. Hes like Cole Palmer – but we need to manage him. When I brought him on, he said not to worry and that wed win the game. Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season From next season, Sky Sports Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.
