Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has acknowledged that the manner of the celebrations during and after Wednesday's Conference League final 'meant a lot' to him.
The Blues went into the showpiece occasion against Real Betis in Wroclaw having already secured Champions League qualification for next season, lowering the stakes with regards to avoiding a second season in the Conference League.
However, after a drab first-half showing in which they went behind, Chelsea responded with one of their best 45 minutes of the campaign as they stormed to a 4-1 victory, ensuring that they became the first team in history to complete the set of five major UEFA trophies.
Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo all got on the scoresheet during the final 25 minutes plus added-on time to end their European season in style.
© Imago
What moment filled Maresca with pride?
Maresca's team selection was arguably a surprising one, leaving several of the players who had contributed most during the run to the final on the substitutes' bench.
Malo Gusto was then withdrawn at half time, followed by Benoit Badiashile shortly after the hour mark, but their reactions to Chelsea turning the match around and at the full-time whistle felt like a turning point to Maresca.
The Italian said, as quoted by football.london: "We've improved a lot since we started. We also started to win games in an ugly way.
"That is something with a young squad that you struggle to do that, but I think, for instance, in the Nottingham Forest game we won in a little bit of an ugly way. We found the way to win the game, that was very, very important.
"And then the best picture for me for tonight that made me understand that we were in the right direction is when we scored the first two guys to celebrate was Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile. The two that we changed. And this, probably sometimes we judge games, but this for me, for a manager, when you change players that they are not playing good and they are the first that they enjoy the celebration, that means a lot.
"That means that the spirit is good, we're going in the right direction, everyone is helping each other, and this is a good base to build something important."
© Imago
Foundations laid for Chelsea?
While there has been mockery over Chelsea's stature compared to their fellow Conference League participants this season, this was a step up in quality and they delivered.
Furthermore, it came just over 72 hours after the emotion of qualifying for the Champions League, and against opponents who had an extra two days of preparation.
Lifting the trophy may not have been as important as it would have been with Champions League football not already in the bag, but it showed that the Premier League's youngest squad were united in their search for silverware and proving people wrong.
With the Club World Cup to come over the summer, likely with the mix of new additions, expectations are only going to be raised at Stamford Bridge.
Darren Plant
