- Betis reached their first-ever European final and hope for a historic maiden trophy
- Chelsea aim to become the first club to win all five major UEFA tournaments
- Spanish clubs have won every European final they’ve contested since 2002
Key Takeaways:
Betis and Chelsea face off in the UEFA Conference League final at the “Wroclaw” stadium in the Polish city of the same name.
For the team from Seville, this is a first-ever European final and hopes are high for a historic trophy. Manuel Pellegrini’s side enjoyed an excellent second half of the season, with major contributions from January signing Antony, who arrived from Manchester United. The Andalusians finished sixth after a run of mistakes in the closing rounds. Betis are without a win in their last five matches across all competitions.
Not long left ⏳#UECLfinal pic.twitter.com/xWF2xGQEpn
— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) May 27, 2025
Chelsea entered the Conference League as overwhelming favourites and fully lived up to expectations, even while playing with reserve players for much of the tournament. The Blues recorded six wins in the group stage, then knocked out FC Copenhagen, Legia Warsaw and Djurgarden. The only match they did not win was the second leg against Legia, having secured a big advantage in the first leg. Enzo Maresca’s team set a new record for goals scored in the tournament, with 38 before the final. Betis were not as solid in the group phase but were convincing in the knockouts, eliminating Vitoria Guimaraes and Jagiellonia before defeating Fiorentina in the semi-finals.
For Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, the match will be somewhat special. He played under Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini during the 2011/12 season, when both were at Malaga. Maresca later served as the Chilean’s assistant at West Ham during the 2018/2019 campaign.
Chelsea have the chance to become the first club to win all five UEFA tournaments. The Londoners have previously lifted the Champions League twice, the Europa League twice, the Cup Winners’ Cup twice, and the UEFA Super Cup twice.
The Blues achieved their season goal after finishing fourth in the Premier League, securing a Champions League spot. They began the season strongly, even being discussed as title contenders, before a slump and strong finish balanced their campaign. One of the team’s main issues was the form of top scorer Cole Palmer, who has scored just once since mid-January.
Since 2002, every European final involving a Spanish team has been won by a side from the Iberian Peninsula. In that span, there have been four all-Spanish finals. The last time a La Liga team lost a major European final was in 2001, when Valencia fell to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.