Real Betis 1-4 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea
It may only have been the third tier of European competition, but the UEFA Conference League trophy could get a very special place in Chelsea's display cabinets in the club museum.
After the side with the youngest Premier League average starting age hoisted the cup in Poland having beaten Real Betis 4-1 on Wednesday night (28 May), Chelsea are unique in winning every available major European trophy.
So silverware from the Champions League, Europa League and Cup Winners' Cup could join the new fluted vase in one single spotlit cabinet to underline the achievement.
It's a feat no team can better as the Cup Winners' Cup ceased to be in 1999, and it was won in typical Chelsea style – a turgid first half followed by a free-flowing, attacking second.
Second half comeback
Falling behind in Wroclaw to a well-taken Abde Ezzalzouli strike, Enzo Maresca reshaped his team and capitalised on their superior fitness and stamina to turn the screw after the break.
Cole Palmer set up Enzo Fernandez for the leveller, then fed Nico Jackson for a second. Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo added a third and fourth, and Blues fans – clearly in party mood – began the full-on celebration.
Maresca blamed lethargy for the slow start, after a heroic display in Nottingham on Sunday to qualify for next season's Champions League. "At half-time we adjusted something tactically and were much better in the second half," he said.
"Hopefully it can be a starting point, and for sure the trophy we won tonight will make us better," he added.
Chelsea veteran old boy Pat Nevin is less convinced, calculating that a team with a season's average starting age of 24 years and 36 days will need another two years to mature into a side capable of challenging Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City in the Premier League, and the likes of Bayern and PSG in Europe's top flight.
But for now Blues fans can bask in the glory. "It was a good end to the season," confirmed attacking defender Marc Cucurella as the club shop hastily printed 'We've Won It All Again' T-shirts to flog at a mere £30 apiece.
Champions League spot already secured
The Blues clinched Champions League football for next year on the final day of the Premier League season with a 1-0 win at Forest.
The victory, achieved via a second-half goal by defender Levi Colwill, of all people, meant Chelsea finish fourth – an achievement that frankly looked beyond them after a severe post-Christmas dip in form.
The fact that they regrouped and revived at just the right time, while other teams faltered, means the Blues join Liverpool, Arsenal, City and Newcastle in the league stage of European football, with the bonus that comes with it in terms of securing current stars' contracts and attracting new players. UEFA will draw the names Chelsea will face at the end of August.
Maresca rounded on his critics after the win in Nottingham, having endured occasional boos and much muttering from fans who feel that his adopted style of play doesn't always entertain, and often fails to get the best out of his young squad.
And youth is the key here. Chelsea achieved their place at Europe's top table with the youngest average Premier League starting line-up of all time.
"I think the players deserved it," said Maresca post-match.
"Since Day One they have been working hard. The club, the players, the sporting directors – we've all being going in the same direction." Harsh observers might describe that direction as 'sideways', but there's no denying fans feel good about being back at Europe's top table.
