Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf has accused manager Enzo Maresca of lying about his confidence in the team following their UEFA Europa Conference League triumph.

The Italian coach claimed he "always had confidence" in his Chelsea squad after they came from behind to defeat Spanish side Real Betis 4-1 in the Europa Conference League final at Wroclaw Stadium.

However, Leboeuf strongly disputed this assertion while speaking on ESPN FC, stating: "His first sentence is a lie. He said he never had doubts about his team. Yeah, he had doubts like everybody else. Even the players had doubts about the capacity of consistency."

The former French international acknowledged that Maresca deserves credit for Chelsea's achievements this season, which include a fourth-place Premier League finish and European silverware, but insisted the journey wasn't as straightforward as the manager suggested.

Chelsea endured a difficult period after Christmas, suffering six defeats in 11 games – a run that threatened their Champions League qualification hopes. Despite these challenges, Maresca's side recovered to secure a respectable finish to the campaign.

Under Maresca's leadership, Chelsea recorded 35 wins and 13 defeats across 57 matches in all competitions this season, culminating in their Conference League victory – a trophy few expected them to lift when the campaign began.

The Blues' European triumph represents a positive conclusion to what has been a season of transition at Stamford Bridge, with Maresca implementing his philosophy after taking over last summer.