Chelsea win Conference League to complete whole set of UEFA titles

Chelsea produced an impressive second-half rally to beat Real Betis 4-1 in the final of the UEFA Conference League on Wednesday, becoming the first team to win all four of UEFA's club competitions.

Aside from the 1971 and 1998 titles in the now-defunct UEFA Winners' Cup, Chelsea's other European silverware – the Champions League in 2012 and 2021 and the Europa League in 2013 and 2019 – came in the trophy-laden tenure of Roman Abramovich.

The Abramovich era ended in 2022 and Chelsea were bought by a consortium fronted by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly that has since spent around $1.3 billion on new players in a high-risk move to remodel the squad with mostly young stars.

Some of them delivered in the turnaround against Betis, with Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson converting pinpoint crosses from Cole Palmer in the 65th and 70th minutes, respectively, before substitute Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo added more goals in Wroclaw, Poland.

Boehly went on the pitch after the final whistle to congratulate Chelsea's players after club captain Reece James lifted the trophy to a backdrop of ticker tape and loud roars from teammates in the middle of the field.

"Coming into this competition, it was something we had to win," James said of the Conference League, Europe's third-tier competition. "Next season we go again in the Champions League."

Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League this season, sealing a return to the Champions League.

So far, this season's European trophies have gone to English clubs, with Tottenham winning the Europa League title last week by beating Manchester United – another Premier League team – 1-0 in the final.

It will not be a treble for England, however, with Saturday's Champions League final set to take place in Munich between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.