"That is something to discuss with the club."
Chelsea defeated Real Betis 4-1 to win the final of the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa Conference League held at Stadion Miejski in Wroclaw, Poland, on the 29th (Korean time). It was a dramatic comeback as Chelsea scored four goals in the second half after conceding an early goal in the 9th minute of the first half.
With this victory, Chelsea became the first club to win all four UEFA-sanctioned club competitions: the Champions League (UCL), Europa League (UEL), and UEFA Super Cup.
Real Betis completely dominated the first half, including a first goal by Abde Ezzalzouli, leading to consecutive opportunities for Marc Bartra and Borja Iglesias. Chelsea's defense, shaken by Malo Gusto, was visibly anxious.
Immediately after the start of the second half, Manager Maresca replaced Gusto with Reece James, and the tactical change proved effective. Cole Palmer supplied crosses to Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson, creating two goals, while substitutes Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo each added another goal, sealing the victory.
In his debut season, Manager Maresca achieved a 4th place finish in the Premier League and lifted a UEFA tournament trophy. Chelsea returned to competing at the top level in Europe within just one year.
After the match, UEFA Europa Conference League aired an interview with Manager Enzo Maresca. He opened with, "We made some tactical adjustments at halftime, and we performed much better in the second half. We are very pleased."
Regarding the impressive performance of Palmer, he praised, "This season, Palmer's struggle has undoubtedly made him a better player. He is a player who can decide a match with either a goal or an assist in the final third. The two assists he recorded today were exceptional."
He noted, "We have really improved compared to the early part of the season. Now we can overcome matches even in an unattractive manner. Such victories are especially difficult for a team made up of young players."
Maresca stated, "The first half was tough for all of us, but we performed much better in the second half. Jackson scored a goal, and that’s the Jackson we want to see. This game can be a starting point. To build a winning mentality, we need to win matches and tournaments. The trophy we lifted today will make us a better team."
He added, "I wanted to win, but I was sure that whoever wins will sincerely congratulate the opponent. I was lucky today, but Manuel Pellegrini will certainly be happy for me. If I had lost, I would have been sad, but I would have been happy for him."
There were also questions about Sancho. The substitute Sancho, who came on in the final, had a pass success rate of 100% (17/17) and created one opportunity while scoring a goal. However, since Sancho's original team is Manchester United, his future is uncertain.
According to 'Sky Sports', Maresca said, "Everything regarding us finishing 4th in the league and winning this match thanks to Sancho has been because of him."
Still, he remarked, "We need to discuss next season with the club from now on. Everyone has their ups and downs. That’s part of football," and he refrained from commenting on Sancho's future.
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