Chelsea beat Real Madrid 4-1 to win the Conference League final, with all of their goals coming in the final half-hour after their Spanish opponents had gone in ahead at the break
Antony after Real Betis' Conference League final defeat
Antony after Real Betis' Conference League final defeat
Real Betis star Antony had pain written across his face after Chelsea beat the Spanish side to win the Conference League. The Manchester United flop has thrived during his loan spell in Seville, but couldn't cap the season with a trophy.
Chelsea did things the hard way in the final in Wroclaw. Ez Abde gave Betis a half-time advantage, only for Cole Palmer to lead the comeback with a pair of assists after the hour mark.
Palmer set up Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson to turn the game on its head. There was time for more, though, with Jadon Sancho combining with fellow substitute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for a third and Moises Caicedo adding some stoppage-time gloss to the scoreline,
After the final whistle, Antony could be seen hunched over, appearing to be gathering his thoughts. In one photo, Chelsea stars Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia can be seen looking towards the Brazilian, who was seen in tears after Betis' defeat.
It was a better story for his fellow United outcast Sancho, though. The former Borussia Dortmund star joined Chelsea on loan from United at the end of the summer window, and ends the campaign with a European trophy while his parent club miss out after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.
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Antony might have struggled at Old Trafford, but he rediscovered his form with Betis. He has nine goals and five assists across 26 games for the club - having only managed 12 goals and five assists in his 96 United outings.
Both Antony and Sancho now face uncertain futures. Chelsea and United included an obligation to buy in their loan - though the Blues can still get out of it - while Antony's future may depend on whether Betis or any other club can meet the Red Devils' asking price.
Jadon Sancho and Antony embracing after the 2025 Conference League final
Jadon Sancho and Antony embraced after the final
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Chelsea substitute Colwill pointed to the danger posed by Betis. "We knew they were going to be a good team, especially at the start with their fans pushing them on, but we knew it was going to die off. We just had to wait and pick our moments and that is what we did in the second half," he said.
"Watching from the bench you can see where the spaces are and how you can help the team. When I came on for Benny [Badiashile] I could see he was working so hard and then the gaps were open. He did that for me, laid the foundations for me."
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