Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been discussing his side’s Conference League triumph last season.
Chelsea won the Conference League trophy after beating Real Betis 4-1 in the final.
Betis took the lead through Abde Ezzalzouli, but Maresca‘s side managed to win the game comfortably in the end, thanks to goals from Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo.
Caicedo recently scored in Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Liverpool. Caicedo is now the Premier League’s leading midfielder, according to former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville.
Chelsea players convinced winning Conference League ‘was the most important thing in the world’
The Conference League is not rated by a lot of people with it being UEFA’s third-tier competition.
However, Maresca was able to convince his players that winning the tournament was absolutely necessary.
Speaking at the Festival dello Sport, an event which has been covered by Tuttomercatoweb, Maresca said: “It was the only competition we could win (during regular season). I convinced my players that it was the most important thing in the world. And so, we won two titles in two months.”
As well as the Conference League, Maresca and Chelsea were also able to win the Club World Cup. It was another subject that the Italian discussed at the Festival dello Sport.
Blues supporters will now be hoping to see the club win even bigger trophies under Maresca, like the Premier League.
If they stop getting players sent off, former goalkeeper David James can imagine Chelsea challenging for the title.
Enzo Maresca celebrates with the trophy after Real Betis Balompie v Chelsea FC - UEFA Conference League Final 2025
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Enzo Maresca on winning Club World Cup
It is fair to say that winning the Conference League and Club World Cup was important to Maresca.
The Chelsea manager was very impressed with how his side performed in the Club World Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain and described the trophy as “wonderful”.
“We had a great game,” Maresca said. “It was a classic situation: Everyone had them as favourites. We beat a team that, I think, were the strongest in the world at that moment. But I don’t go into work every day because we won the World Championship, I do it because I love it. I don’t wake up in the morning thinking about the titles we’ve won.
“We played seven different games. We tried to make changes and tried to surprise opponents. It went well. There were several injuries, but it was worth it and I wouldn’t change anything given the result. The trophy is wonderful, even if it is a bit heavy.”
Stamford Bridge has not seen the Chelsea side that dismantled PSG in America this season, but they have had a lot of injury problems.
When everyone is back, perhaps the Blues will return to the level that they were at during the Club World Cup. If Chelsea do, they will not be easy to beat.