Cole Palmer delivered a defiant response to Gary Neville’s “billion-pound bottle jobs” remark following Chelsea’s Europa Conference League triumph over Real Betis.
Palmer, who registered two assists in the 4–1 victory, became the first player in six years to provide two assists in a major European final.
In a post-match interview, Palmer downplayed the comment’s impact:
“I didn’t really pay attention to be honest… I think we’ve shown on Sunday that we can go to a tough place and win and tonight, even when we were losing, we showed good character again and came back.”
Palmer’s teammates hailed his performance. Tosin said,
“He’s the one, man. He’s the truth… Super proud of him.”
Manager Enzo Maresca credited the victory as a stepping stone:
“To build a winner mentality, you need to win games… I’m very proud of the journey we’ve done in the Premier League with the youngest squad in its history.”
Chelsea’s win marks the completion of their UEFA trophy cabinet, having now won every major European competition.
Despite the achievement, some critics like Miguel Delaney questioned whether top-tier clubs should even be in the Conference League.
Off the pitch, 28 arrests were made before the final in Wrocław due to clashes between fans, though police reported no injuries.
