Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that his team struggled with motivation in the first half of their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis on Wednesday night.

According to the Italian tactician, his players approached the game "in the wrong way" as they were still celebrating their recent 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest that secured Champions League qualification for next season.

"In the first half, we approached the game in the wrong way," Maresca told TNT Sports after the match. "I expected it a little bit, because for two days the happiness was a little bit too much after Nottingham Forest."

The Blues conceded early in the first half when Isco found Abde Ezzalzouli in the box, putting Real Betis ahead. However, Chelsea bounced back impressively in the second half, scoring four goals to secure the trophy.

"We struggled a little bit with that, but the second half was much better," Maresca explained, highlighting the team's improved performance after the break.

The Chelsea boss also revealed the message he had given his players following their Champions League qualification: "The message after Forest was that if we wanted to be an important team, what we've done is done and we have to win a final now."

Despite the early setback, Chelsea's strong second-half performance ultimately saw them thrash Real Betis to lift the Europa Conference League trophy, adding European silverware to their successful season that already includes Champions League qualification.