Chelsea FC Set to Face Real Betis in Conference League Final, Revisiting Historic 1998 Encounter
On Wednesday evening, Chelsea FC will conclude their Conference League campaign with a highly anticipated match against Real Betis in the final of UEFA’s newest competition. As the Blues prepare to take on the Spanish side, we take a look back at their first encounter with Betis 27 years ago, a match that marked a new dawn for the team.
According to an article on the official Chelsea FC website (Chelsea FC Museum), change was afoot at Stamford Bridge in the spring of 1998. Manager Ruud Gullit had just been sacked, and striker Gianluca Vialli inherited the post, becoming the club’s third successive player-manager. Vialli’s first assignment was to steer the team past Arsenal and into the League Cup final, which they achieved on a magical night at Stamford Bridge.
However, the team’s domestic form was struggling, with defeats to Leicester City and Manchester United, leaving them fifth in the league. The return of European football provided a welcome distraction, as they had been top at Christmas. Chelsea’s Cup Winners’ Cup campaign had begun with routine aggregate victories over Slovan Bratislava and Tromso in the autumn. The quarter-final draw paired the Blues with Real Betis, who had beaten BVSC Budapest and Copenhagen in their opening two ties.
As noted in the Chelsea FC article, Betis, managed by future Spain boss Luis Aragones, hosted the first leg against Vialli’s side at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, in the south of Seville, on 5 March 1998. The stadium was in a state of disrepair, with UEFA demanding they cut the capacity from 47,000 to 31,000 for Chelsea’s visit, affecting the notoriously hostile atmosphere. Betis president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera had grand plans to move Los Verdiblancos into a new stadium within a year, but those plans never came to pass.
Vialli had selection issues ahead of his first European game as Chelsea boss, with England international Graeme Le Saux failing a fitness test on his ankle, and Andy Myers back in London awaiting the birth of a child. Frank Sinclair, usually a right-back or central defender, filled in at left-back, while Steve Clarke, Michael Duberry, and Frank Leboeuf completed the backline. Vialli opted to abandon his preferred 4-3-3 formation in favour of a more solid 4-4-2, with Dan Petrescu, Roberto Di Matteo, Dennis Wise, and Eddie Newton forming the midfield.
The Chelsea FC article reports that over 3,000 Chelsea fans travelled to Seville, seeking the sun that Bratislava and Tromso had not provided. They were stationed in one corner behind the goal Chelsea were attacking in the first half. Before kick-off, captain Wise received the pennant from his Betis counterpart, which now takes pride of place in the Chelsea FC Museum, along with plenty of other mementoes from the team’s European excursions.
In the first game against Betis, the Blues began fast, with Ed de Goey starting a counter-attack after falling on a tame effort from Finidi George. Di Matteo found Tore Andre Flo, who cleverly spun his man before driving goalwards off the right flank. The towering Norwegian shifted his bodyweight to confound another defender and then fired an accurate finish across Toni Prats and into the net, via the far post. This goal triggered pandemonium in the away end, bathed in blue shirts, and Chelsea fans had more cause for celebration just five minutes later.
As stated in the article from Chelsea FC, Petrescu was the creator, sliding a pass behind the Betis backline. Flo latched on to it and, showing typically deft feet, danced around a defender. Prats rushed out, and this time Flo calmly stroked the ball through his legs and into the net. Chelsea were 2-0 up, and the tie was only 12 minutes old. Chelsea defended solidly thereafter, the only blip coming 43 seconds after the interval when Alfonso was left unmarked to head in a right-wing cross.
The Independent’s match report praised Chelsea’s performance, stating, “Chelsea’s tackling was crisp and decisive until the late stages and De Goey dealt well with everything that came at him.” A fortnight later, the teams reconvened at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea roaring back to win 3-1 on the night and 5-2 on aggregate, with Sinclair, Di Matteo, and Gianfranco Zola scoring the goals.
The Chelsea FC article concludes that Chelsea’s progression left them as the only British team still in any European competition at the semi-final stage, and Vialli’s dream start to management continued over the next few weeks. Ten days later, they beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in the League Cup final, and the 1997/98 campaign concluded with victory in the Cup Winners’ Cup final in Stockholm.
As the Blues prepare to face Real Betis in the Conference League final, they will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Flo and co by getting one up on the side from Seville. The next instalment of Chelsea vs Real Betis is clearly the most important yet, and the Blues will be looking to make history.
You can find out more about Chelsea’s history and see amazing artefacts in the flesh at the Chelsea FC Museum at Stamford Bridge.
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