The unbreakable bond between Italian coaches and Chelsea European trophies | OneFootball

Chelsea have become the first club to win all four major European trophies, and all with Italian coaches in charge.

The Blues beat Real Betis in the Conference League Final on Wednesday night, lifting another UEFA trophy under an Italian coach: Enzo Maresca.

The late Gianluca Vialli won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1997-98, adding to his Chelsea trophy cabinet an FA Cup, a League Cup, a Charity Shield and a UEFA Super Cup as well.

epa03226623 Chelsea’s head coach Roberto di Matteo (C) is congratulated after the UEFA Champions League soccer final between FC Bayern Munich and Chelsea FC in Munich, Germany, 19 May 2012. Chelsea won 4-3 in penalty shoot out. EPA/MARCUS BRANDT

Another ex-Italy international, Roberto Di Matteo lifted the first-ever Champions League trophy for the club in 2011-12. Seven years later, Maurizio Sarri won the Europa League at Stamford Bridge, and Maresca has now become the latest Italian coach to win a UEFA trophy in South West London.

The solid bond between Italian Chelsea coaches and silverware is not limited only to European competitions.

Carlo Ancelotti, in fact, won one Premier League title, one FA Cup and one Community Shield between 2009 and 2011. Likewise, Antonio Conte won the Premier League and the FA Cup between 2016 and 2018.

Di Matteo also won the FA Cup in 2012.

What Maresca said after Chelsea’s Conference League win

WROCLAW, POLAND – MAY 28: Enzo Maresca, Manager of Chelsea, acknowledges the fans as he walks past the UEFA Conference League trophy following his team’s victory in the UEFA Conference League Final 2025 between Real Betis Balompie and Chelsea FC at Stadion Wroclaw on May 28, 2025 in Wroclaw, Poland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

“Hopefully, it can be a starting point to build a winner mentality,” Maresca said, via The Guardian.

“You need to win games, you need to win ­competitions. The ­trophy is going to make us better. But also, I’m very proud of the path or the journey we have done in the ­Premier League.

“It’s the most ­difficult competition in the world. You have to be ­consistent in 38 games. With the youngest squad in the history of the Premier League, it’s something unbelievable.

“Now we have 10 days off,” the Italian concluded.

“Ten days where we need to recover energy. And then we’re going to start the Club World Cup. The target is to go game by game.”