In the post-match conference, Isco revealed what led to Betis’ loss in the Europa Conference League final. 

Real Betis captain Isco and coach Manuel Pellegrini attributed their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League final to taking their foot off the pedal after a strong first-half performance.

Betis dominated the opening 45 minutes, with Isco providing a pinpoint assist for Abde Ezzalzouli’s goal. However, Chelsea’s quality and power overwhelmed Betis in the second half, with Cole Palmer pulling the strings and Enzo Fernández, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho, and Moisés Caicedo scoring for the Premier League side.

Isco acknowledged that Betis’s mistakes were costly, saying, “In a European final, mistakes are very punishing. In the second half, they ran over us. It’s painful.” Pellegrini echoed Isco’s sentiments, stating, “I think we took refuge in the scoreboard a bit. We sat too deep. They’re a team with a lot of quality, a lot of power.”

Despite the disappointing loss, Betis players praised the Spanish club’s fans, who vastly outnumbered Chelsea supporters and provided energetic support throughout the match. Defender Marc Bartra expressed pride in the fans’ dedication, saying, “It’s a source of pride to see the fans like this. I love this club for the way they always support us, the way they cheer us on.”

The defeat will not define Betis’s season, as they will compete in the Europa League next season after finishing sixth in LaLiga. Aitor Rubial, a Betis defender, vowed that the team would bounce back, saying, “We’ve had a tough time this season, a really tough stretch, but we’re confident that we’re going to pull through this and we’ll do it again.”