Chelsea eye European history in Conference League final

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says Wednesday’s Conference League final against Real Betis is a chance to make history, reinforce a winning mentality and prove his young side belong at the top.

Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League on Sunday to qualify for the Champions League, which they have won twice along with two Europa League trophies, raising questions about where the Conference League stands in their list of priorities.

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But, having also twice won the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, Chelsea’s chance to become the first team to win all four major UEFA club competitions should be a key motivator for his side, Maresca said.

“Probably the most complicated thing this season about the Conference [League] has been to convince the players that for us it’s the best competition in the world and the reason why was because it’s the competition that we were in,” Maresca told reporters on Tuesday.

“I’m happy if we win, but I’m especially happy for the club, for the fans. And also because Chelsea can become the first club in Europe to win all the European competitions.

“If we are able to win, I think it’s a good thing because we continue to build the winning mentality.”

Maresca added that his side have proved themselves this season, with a final victory set to confirm their progress.

“Every game is a chance to show we have improved and that we want to win titles,” he said. “We are the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, but also they are men. We are mature enough, and we can compete.”

Chelsea have had little time to prepare for the final but Maresca insisted their focus had never slipped.

“The message in the last 48 hours has been, we did something important [by qualifying for the Champions League]. But if we want to confirm we’re becoming an important club, we need to show the desire to win the title and to win the game,” he added.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.