Chelsea

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Lifting the Uefa Conference League would "help" young players develop a winning mentality, says Chelsea captain Reece James.

Chelsea have a chance on Wednesday to win a first piece of silverware since the new ownership took over in 2022 when they face Real Betis in the Conference League final in Wroclaw.

Having missed out on domestic cup finals in recent seasons, asked what it would means, James responded: "A lot.

"To myself and to the club, to the players it would be their first trophy. A lot of the young players have played a key part in this competition so far this season so it would mean a lot.

"You hope [it can spark more success]. It has been a few years since we have got our hands on silverware.

"If you zoom out and take a further look, then I think winning this could bring the winning trophies effect back to the club and help the players who haven't won as much at this club so far."

The competition has provided the opportunity for a number of academy players to have their chance with the first team.

"Being two academy boys, winning a trophy for the club would be huge," added fellow academy graduate Levi Colwill.

"It is the stuff you dream of as a kid. By doing this, hopefully we can encourage more academy boys to do exactly what we are doing - playing in a final, having the chance to win.

"And, for players like Reggie [Walsh], Josh [Acheampong] and Ty [George], the young boys, if we win they get the chance to have a medal and that would be amazing, and just to keep pushing the rest of them."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Conference League final in Wroclaw against Real Betis (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Maresca said the mood before the final was a "good one" as a "consequence from last game [against Nottingham Forest]" but knows that this match is "one game and anything can happen".

• On both him and Levi Colwill swearing in post-match media duties on Sunday when talking about critics: "It's a good feeling that the players react when there are some critics. That is a good reaction from players. Our reaction was just an outburst for the moment. The reason why is because in our bad run in the season, many people were talking not from our point of view, not in the right way."

• He added: "Yes, we are the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League but, at the same time, they are men. It was time to say to critics - yes, we are young but if we do the right things we are good enough to achieve things."

• He said the most "complicated thing about the Conference League was to convince the players that it was the best competition in the world" and added: "The reason why is because it was the competition we are in. I had to convince the players not to drop anything because you can drop points or lose to any team in Europe. I am not focused on winning this trophy for my name but I am happier for the club or the fans. Also because Chelsea can become the first European club to win all European trophies."

• On the importance of winning silverware for player mentality: "If we win it is a good thing to build a winners mentality. The only way to build a winners mentality is to win games. We won many games this season, it wasn't enough to [win a trophy] on Sunday - we qualified - but tomorrow we have to show the same desire to win the game."

• Maresca said if they "want to confirm we are becoming an important club then we need to show desire to win the title" and that they will go into the final wanting to "win at any costs".

• He does not know if this will be Jadon Sancho's final game for the Blues as "in the next 24 or 48 hours we will start to talk about the future, but no decision has been made on Jadon or any other player".

Listen to full commentary of the Conference League final on on Wednesday from 20:00 BST on BBC Sounds

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk was spotted by a host of fans walking around the city centre in Wroclaw before their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis on Wednesday.

The Ukraine international has rarely been seen in public since his provisional ban for allegedly testing positive for a banned substance.

One fan explained to BBC Sport that Mudryk was obviously visible in Chelsea training kit while with a friend and invited a group of fans into a restaurant called Whiskey In the Jar to take photos and sign autographs.

He is eligible to receive a medal having been named in the Uefa squad and played in the league phase round.

Interestingly, Mudryk seems to have travelled separately from the squad and Maresca didn't have knowledge of his presence in Poland when asked in his pre-match press conference.

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It is nearly matchday and the countdown to kick-off in the Conference League final in Wroclaw is getting closer.

Can Chelsea overcome Real Betis end their season with silverware?

If you're out in Poland already, or heading out there, we'd love to hear from you.

Tell us about your trip and let us know your route. What's the atmosphere like?

Were you confident the Blues would make it and booked up early? Or was it more of a last-minute job?

Get in touch with your photos and stories here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha's form has been noticed across at BlueCo partner club Chelsea, amid reports he could join the club in 2026.

The 22-year-old, who scored 14 goals in 27 league matches, as the Ligue 1 club qualified for Europe for the first time since 2020, is under contract until 2028 and is near certain to stay at Strasbourg next season.

However, aside from an agreement to remain in Alsace for a further season to enjoy their Conference League campaign, there are further discussions about his future.

One option being discussed is Emegha could renew his contract at Strasbourg and then join Chelsea in 2026. However, no promises have been made or pre-agreements been reached to formalise the idea with interest coming in from major clubs in Europe.

The Netherlands Under-21 international is regarded as a leader at Strasbourg and his short injury lay-offs arguably cost Strasbourg qualification to the Champions League or Europa League - as the club lost six of their seven matches without him available.

Emegha's situation is, however, an example of the joined up thinking across Chelsea and Strasbourg, who finished seventh this season to qualify for the Conference League under English manager Liam Rosenior.

Rosenior, like Chelsea manager Maresca, plays an expansive, progressive, possession-based style of football, which is being implemented across both clubs from the women's teams through the academies.

It is a structure designed to allow players to move between clubs in either direction to their mutual benefit - with goalkeeper Djorde Petrovic and Andrey Santos excelling on loan at Strasbourg but now expected to return to Chelsea for the Club World Cup.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are still exploring striker options away from Emegha and have around eight or nine targets on their agenda. Ipswich striker Liam Delap continues to be a major target and is available for his £30m relegation release clause but there are alternatives like Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike, RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and a host of others on the club's radar.

Will Faulks
Fan writer

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Season rating: 6/10. The destination was good but the journey was pretty painful at times.

Happy with your manager? Enzo Maresca insists he does not want to be judged on results, which is curious as that is the main thing he has got going for him. The football has been poor, there was little growth in the team from August to May, and he has made no effort to win over sceptical fans, preferring instead to patronise and disparage them. If we kick on next season, that will all be forgotten - but he certainly has not built up any excess goodwill to use if we start slowly. The players really seem to enjoy working with him, which is important and a promising sign for him long term.

Unsung hero: It was fitting that Levi Colwill got the winning goal on the final day. He got better and better as the season went on without ever being given too much individual praise. He has always had talent. Now he is getting games he is improving rapidly and should be a fixture in the team for years to come - perhaps with a new partner at the back next season.

Player you would most like to sign: A top striker would make all the difference. Premium price options look to be off the table given Chelsea's wage structure, but rolling the dice on Benjamin Sesko seems plausible and potentially game-changing if he is as good as some people think.

Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Relief. It was not pretty, but the players showed heart at the end to set themselves up for next season, when we hope to see the club competing for major trophies again. The tough moments they went through will play a part in developing this exceptionally young group, and a few key additions will hopefully mean a marked improvement over the summer.

Do you agree with Will's answers? Pick one or two categories and send your views

Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external

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Here's my quick assessment of Chelsea's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.

Pre-season prediction: 7th

Ended the season: 4th

Enzo Maresca was keen to turn on his and Chelsea's critics, and he deserves credit for taking them back into the Champions League on the final day of the season while looking forward to a Conference League final against Real Betis.

It was still a strange season, however, and many fans remain to be convinced by Maresca's studied passing style, even if the owners are.

Chelsea looked title outsiders around October, but a dip in form - especially for the brilliant Cole Palmer - ended that talk. It was a decent return for this season, though, with the possibility of a trophy.

Summer priorities? A better goalkeeper than Robert Sanchez and a reliable goalscorer.

What I said in August: "Impossible to predict what will happen in the next 20 minutes at Chelsea, let alone what might have happened by the time May rolls around."

Read my assessments of the other 19 teams here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Chelsea defender Josh Acheampong has admitted his "shock" that manager Enzo Maresca knew him during pre-season.

The Italian prepared a dossier when interviewing for the Chelsea job last summer which included an evaluation of every player in the first team and academy sides.

After his appointment, Maresca called up academy players Acheampong and Tyrique George for a pre-season tour in the United States, and the pair were promoted to senior squad roles on a permanent basis in December.

Asked whether he was surprised Maresca knew him, Acheampong said: "Yes. I remember the first day. I was like, 'Hi, I'm Josh', and he was like, 'I know who you are'.

"So it was a bit of a shock, but it was good. He's really positive. He gives me a lot of encouragement."

"When I first joined up with the team, he told me what he wants from me, what I can improve on, what I do well.

"It was a good experience, being in the States, playing in big stadiums. It was kind of like the start of the journey."

Maresca has repeatedly said he "loves" Acheampong, first when the club exiled the defender from the first team during contract negotiations, until he signed a new five-year deal in December.

Acheampong admits he got a "bit of stick" over it, but added: "It was really good to hear, to be fair. It gave me a lot of confidence."

The 19-year-old has featured in seven of Chelsea's 12 games in the Conference League this season and hopes to play a part in Wednesday's final against Real Betis in Wroclaw.

He said the tournament has served as a "stepping stone into men's football", adding: "Hopefully we can go all the way."

Chelsea have discussed a move for Eintracht Frankfurt's 22-year-old French forward Hugo Ekitike. They also have significant interest in Sporting's Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, 26, and Ipswich's Liam Delap, 22. (Independent, external)

Eintracht Frankfurt value Ekitike at £84m, albeit with a negotiable payment structure. (Athletic - subscription required, external)

Meanwhile, the Blues, Bayern Munich and Manchester United have all shown concrete interest in 25-year-old AC Milan and Portugal forward Rafael Leao. (Teamtalk, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Moises Caicedo has become the first central midfielder to start every game for Chelsea in a Premier League season since Frank Lampard in 2004-05.

The Ecuador international scored his only goal of the campaign against Manchester United in November and has made four more one goal, against Liverpool twice, Tottenham and West Ham.

His versatility has also been an asset, putting in a few shifts at right-back when Enzo Maresca needed him to be flexible.

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After securing Champions League football on the final day of the Premier League season, we asked for your views on Chelsea's campaign.

Here are some of your comments:

Keith: Learning how to win ugly is essential to becoming a successful club. Our young players are learning how to do that. I hope they will become experts.

Dauda: This game was just like a cup final for Chelsea because being in top four is justification of where they belong as an elite club in Europe. They need to go for a world-class striker to give Nicolas Jackson the confidence a striker should have. I congratulate them. Up the Blues.

Andrew: Well deserved. We played good enough football all season. If only we had a striker - any striker - we could compete, but Pedro Neto just doesn't cut it.

Daniel: Job done - which is a huge praise for this young Chelsea team. They are maturing.

Andy: Champions League qualification was probably the first objective for the season. Next is a great chance to win a European trophy and increasing team confidence. Making use of an early transfer window should help Chelsea win the Club World Cup too!

Jason: Good to finish fourth, but we dropped too many points after Christmas. How did we lose and draw to end up dropping five points against Ipswich? That was disappointing.

JJ: Our best performance of the season and, most importantly, we're going into the Champions League next campaign after a couple of years out of it.

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's 10 final day Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea

• Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace

• Wolves 1-1 Brentford

Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres will leave Sporting this summer. The 26-year-old is linked with Chelsea and Arsenal and has an agreement with the Portuguese club to allow him to leave for less than his £84m release clause. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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After Chelsea's 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest saw them end their Premier League season in fourth place and secure a place in the Champions League next term, we asked for your reflections on the result and the campaign.

Here are some of your comments:

Andy: A fantastic final day. Finishing fourth and qualifying for Champions League the traditional way as well. Much improved on last season and Conference League final to look forward to. Satisfied.

Chris: I said we would come eighth, so I'm delighted to be wrong. However, we are still nowhere near being able to compete with the best. We still need a dominant leader in the centre of defence, two top strikers and a second Petr Cech to be able to win the major trophies. Today's efforts were good but Forest were very timid for a side that needed the win.

Liam: Making the Champions League spots with a win builds confidence. It's fantastic that the young team met their target for the season. Now let's get that trophy on Wednesday, and continue to foster a winning mentality.

KT: Absolute skin of our teeth here, I don't want headlines to be used to cover up what was not a particularly good season. However, I think this is a 'trust-the-process' situation. We've seen glimmers of hope. Let's stick with what we've got at the moment, try and add to it over the summer and make this a team of clinical winners!

Jason: Very pleased. Manager has done a good job. Two places higher than last year shows clear progress. A European final to look towards as well.

Cuthbert: Quite pleasing to see Chelsea deservedly playing Champions League next season having been on the ascendancy and being second behind Liverpool by Christmas. These young lads can prove competitive for the title if they can get a 20+ plus goals a season striker to aid their efforts. My plea as a Chelsea fan is to convert Nicolas Jackson to a winger as his goal contributions and movement do not need to be wasted on the bench. Trophies are on the horizon at the Bridge. Thank you team - the blood always runs dark blue!

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, speaking after win over Nottingham Forest: "Very happy. I'm very happy for many reasons. First of all, because I think the players deserve it.

"Since day one they have been working very, very hard. With the club, with the owners, with the sporting directors, the players, we all go in the same direction. And I said many times during the season that the noise was more from outside than from inside.

"City lost here, Arsenal drew here, Liverpool drew here and Chelsea won. So it's not easy. It's not easy. The players, they show how good they are, the effort they have been.

"12th two years ago, sixth last year and fourth this season. With probably the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League. So, very happy."

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Chelsea captain Reece James, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "It is an amazing feeling.

"We knew coming here on the final day would be tough. They have had an amazing season - they have so much threat going forward.

"We had to dig in. We both needed to win, but I am so happy that the team got the job done today.

"We talk about being the best team-mate and everybody showed that today.

"So many people before the season, during the season had disbelief - they told us 'we were you young, inexperienced and were not going to make it'.

"But we are here.

"The season has been long and tough. We started off so well, but then we had a dip.

"Going into another final and we have our eyes on the prize."