Chelsea capped off a solid 2024/25 campaign by adding the Europa Conference League trophy to their cabinet. The Blues beat Real Betis 4-1 in the final on Wednesday night, becoming the first football team ever to win the Champions League, the Europa League and the Europa Conference League. Goals from Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo sealed the deal for Enzo Maresca's side and it was a triumphant way to head into the summer.
It wasn't all plain sailing for Chelsea, though. In fact, they spent the majority of the game trailing to their Spanish opponents after Abde Ezzalzouli put Betis in front early. The Stamford Bridge contingent were forced to work hard and it eventually paid off when they scored four goals in the final 30 minutes of the game.
One key reason for their comeback, though, was the introduction of Reece James. The Chelsea skipper started the match on the bench, but was subbed into the contest at half-time and he had a major impact on things. His performance caused fans to question why he didn't start in the first place and Maresca offered an explanation in an interview afterwards.
Chelsea players celebrating after scoring against Real Betis in the Conference League final Related
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Chelsea defeated Real Betis 4-1 in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday evening.
Enzo Maresca Explained Why Reece James Didn't Start Against Real Betis
His interview went viral on social media
Reece James and Enzo Maresca
While Reece James has struggled with injuries during his career, he's proven to be a reliable and impressive player whenever he's healthy. That's why the decision to leave him out of the starting lineup for the Europa Conference League left Chelsea fans confused. Maresca explained his reasoning for starting with the Englishman on the bench, though.
Speaking to the TNT Sports team after the match, the manager said:
"I promise you, I would start always with Reece. But I’m trying to protect him. He played more games this season than the last two or three years. He’s a top player for us. It’s like Cole. The problem is we need to manage him. When we changed him, he said to me, 'Boss, don’t worry, we’re going to win the game'."
The response has received a mixed reaction from Chelsea supporters. Some of the club's fans took to social media after the interview and shared their thoughts. One took to X (Twitter) and said: "Trying to protect him for what exactly?" While another also didn't like the explanation, posting: "Not in a final. Don't try that again. He is our Captain. We need him in Finals."
A third fan posted: "Protecting your best player in a final. Stupid decision man. He should thank his stars it wasn't too late."
Some fans understood where Maresca was coming from, though. One stated: "He's actually right. He just played back to back 90 minutes since his injury, he probably needed that protection from the coach."