European full house not the endgame for callow Chelsea

Winning the first piece of silverware of the Todd Boehly era this evening would be more important for what it might lead to, rather than the achievement itself, writes Richard Jolly

- Richard Jolly

It might be the achievement that doubles up as an indictment. Chelsea could complete the European grand slam, becoming the first club to win each of the Champions League, Europa League, (now defunct) Cup Winners’ Cup and the recent innovation of the Conference League.

It is, though, a trophy that Real Madrid may never lift, by the simple dint of never entering the competition. Of the four other clubs who did the old treble of European Cup, Uefa Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup, Bayern Munich feel unlikely to make a Conference League debut. Ajax and Juventus would be unhappy to be in it; for Manchester United, however, it could be a step up.

For Chelsea, though, a night in Wroclaw has an importance that goes beyond a statistical uniqueness. For Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, the least of the European trophies would be the first of their ownership. Lose to Real Betis in Poland and it will be three years without silverware. For now, the unavoidable comparisons are with their predecessors. Roman Abramovich’s tenure brought 21 major honours, including some of the biggest of all: two Champions Leagues, five Premier Leagues, two Europa Leagues and, a few weeks before he was sanctioned to bring an era to a dramatic end, a Club World Cup.