Reece James and Levi Colwill preview Chelsea's Conference League final v Betis

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Reece James and Levi Colwill preview Chelsea's Conference League final v Betis  27/05/2025  uefa25 conference league final Chelsea v Real Betis

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00:00All right. We're here with Rhys James and Levi Colwell. I'll turn it over to Charlie now.

00:14Okay. If you'd like to ask a question, please raise your hand. All we ask is that you introduce

00:18your organization and who you're directing the question to. We'll start with Nazar at

00:23the front. And please use the microphone.

00:26Hi, this is a question for Rhys. I just want to ask you simply, as captain, what would

00:31it mean to lift a trophy for Chelsea?

00:32No, of course it would mean a lot to myself and to the club. To a lot of the players it

00:38would be their first trophy. A lot of the young players have played such a key part in this

00:44competition so far this season, so it would mean a lot.

00:46In a similar vein, Rhys, you've obviously won trophies for this club before. It feels like

00:54a different club under the new ownership of it. Would winning the Conference League

00:58be the thing that can spark a run of silverware again for Chelsea, do you think?

01:03We hope. It's been a few years since we've got our hands on silverware, so if you zoom out

01:10and take a further look, I would like to think that this would bring the winning trophy feel

01:18effect back to the club and help the players that haven't won so much in their career so

01:24far. Simon?

01:26A question for the two of you, if that's okay. I just asked Enzo about Nicholas Jackson

01:32and how hungry he feels to make amends. Have you noticed that in training? Do you feel

01:38like he's got a point to prove? Enzo actually said that he felt like Nicholas had let you

01:44down in that game against Newcastle. Do you get that vibe that Jackson is in that mode to

01:49make amends tomorrow night? No, I wouldn't say. He obviously made a mistake. Yeah. But

01:57he's been so key for us this season. Since he arrived, he plays a huge part in the way we

02:02want to play. And what he's done, getting sent off, is gone now. We've accepted the mistake,

02:10put it behind us and, you know, all eyes focused on tomorrow.

02:16Gentleman in the middle.

02:17Thank you. Jose Molestina, RTS Coro. Rhys, as a captain, what do you think is going to

02:22be the game because of the midfield with Moises Caicedo, with you that are playing very well?

02:28What do you think of the game tomorrow? Do you mean what position I'm going to play?

02:36Because of Isco, all the players that are very good with Betis, what do you think is

02:44going to be the game? How is it going to be? The game is going to be a high-class game,

02:49you know, we're playing against very good opposition. They have, you know, a number of,

02:52you know, high-class players and we will set out strong, you know, set out to win.

02:57Yeah, Harit Satriyan from Armenian Press. My question is to Kohl. How is the feeling to

03:06have a chance after qualifying for Champions League to also get a trophy for a team which

03:11is missing in the museum? Maybe, Riz, if you want to react as well. Thank you.

03:17Yeah, definitely. For the Chelsea fans, I think it would be huge, you know, to win every trophy

03:21possible. That's why we're going to do it for them tomorrow. We're going to work extra

03:25hard for them. And then for the team, you know, it'd be an amazing feeling to, like Riz said,

03:30for some of us to win our first club competitions, like myself. And we're really excited for the game

03:35tomorrow. Malik? All right, a question for both of you. Enzo just said that one of his challenges

03:42at the start of this was to convince you that this is the most important competition in the world,

03:46he said. I just wondered if you could tell us a bit about, I guess, did you need convincing,

03:50and what did he say at the start of this campaign to kind of stress the importance of winning it?

03:57No, I think the message from the manager was clear from day one. You know, you can't neglect,

04:03you know, any competition you're in and you need to give it your all. And yeah, at the end of the day,

04:09it's a huge European competition. You know, look at the final we're in tomorrow against such a,

04:14you know, a big team with, you know, so much history. And I think he's, you know,

04:19he's helped us a lot this season and played, played a big part in, you know, us reaching the

04:23final and us securing Champions League. Jacob?

04:28Hi, Rhys. The manager's spoken a lot about having to build you up physically this season. He's

04:34started you now in the last two games, two, two big games. Is this the best that you've felt

04:39in your body since, since the injuries? And do you feel ready to go tomorrow?

04:42Yeah, it's definitely the best I've felt. You know, I've played the most this season,

04:49you know, in probably two or three years. You know, I'm happy to be back on the pitch,

04:54you know, helping the team as much as I can regularly. And yeah, if I'm called upon tomorrow,

05:00I'll be ready.

05:01I want to ask you about the importance of Moises Caissero, especially because in this

05:10season he has played in your position as a right wing. So how will you value the importance

05:15in the team and how he's developing in Chelsea?

05:18I think when he first arrived, I think he found it difficult from, you know, what he told me.

05:26But this season, you know, he's grown so much as a person, you know, as a player.

05:32You know, his English is getting better as well, which helps.

05:35But no, he's, you know, he's key to our team. You know, he's the only player, I think,

05:39that played, you know, all of the Premier League games this season.

05:43And I think that shows, you know, how much and, you know, how well he's done for us.

05:47Kieran?

05:48Hi, guys. A question for both of you, because you're both from the Cobham conveyor belt,

05:53and we've seen a lot of academy youngsters get chances in the Conference League this season.

05:58Do you almost, does it make it extra for you, that you's one to win tomorrow and get

06:02your likes of Reggie Walsh, et cetera, the guys who got the chance to help you towards a final,

06:08get them a winner's medal? And how nice is it for you guys, as two of Cobham's own,

06:14to be going into this final and seeing how the academy is being used?

06:18Yeah, definitely. Obviously, being two academy boys, winning the competition for the club's huge,

06:23you know, stuff that you dream of as a kid. And by doing this, hopefully, we can encourage

06:28more academy boys to do exactly what we're doing and playing in the final and having a chance to win.

06:33And for players like Reggie and Josh and Ty, that are the young boys, that if we do win,

06:37they get a chance to get a medal. That'd be amazing. And just to keep pushing the rest of them.

06:42OK, we'll go to Ben.

06:44Hi, guys. Just a question to both of you on leadership.

06:47Rhys, Enzo Mareska had said that he challenged you to be maybe more vocal as a captain.

06:54So for you, how do you think you've evolved as a captain from the start to the end of the season?

06:59And Levi, kind of the opposite. You've always said that you relish that leadership responsibility.

07:03So speak a little bit about what you think you add to the group.

07:07No, I think one thing to remember is captains and, you know, leaders are made.

07:12They're not born. You know, I got given the role at such a young age, you know,

07:19when I was going through a difficult period, you know, I had a lot of injuries.

07:21I wasn't on the pitch so much. So it was definitely hard, you know, during my first season, you know, as captain.

07:30But I think, you know, I've grown so much, you know, helping the team, the more I've played.

07:35It's a question for both of you, but I would prefer the way to answer because Rhys already answered a lot of questions.

07:49So both of you are in the England squad after the final and then the World Cup, the Club World Cup,

07:58too many matches. And also Rhys already mentioned that a lot of injuries were before and now it's also a lot of matches.

08:06When will you have a vacation and how do you feel about the next season and preparing for it? Thanks.

08:15I mean, hopefully we get a vacation after the Club World Cup. That'd be really nice.

08:20But, you know, being a footballer, you know, we want to play games and as many games as possible.

08:25Being in this final and then going to hopefully play for our country is obviously an honour and then the Club World Cup,

08:30which is a huge competition and we're both so excited to play in it. So, yeah, hopefully we get a holiday after that.

08:38We're going to Sarai.

08:38Hi, guys. How important is it for you? Everyone wants to talk about tactics, results, obviously the big match coming up.

08:45But is it football is such a short career, you know, enjoying the moments, the coach right here,

08:49you've got a big final tomorrow, you're one of your first finals at Chelsea.

08:52How important is it to enjoy being with each other and enjoy being in the final together?

08:57No, I think it's, I mean, making it enjoyable is, it helps if you win, you know, so that would probably be our first target,

09:06you know, to set out well and hopefully, you know, get the win tomorrow and then enjoy after that.

09:11Okay, we'll end it there. Thank you, everyone. Thank you.

09:16And just a reminder that the training session open to media will begin shortly. Thank you.

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