Cole Palmer`s impressive performance on the field during Wednesday`s UEFA Conference League final was certainly noteworthy, but the Chelsea player continued to grab attention during his post-match interviews following the Blues` victory.
Chelsea overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit against Real Betis in the match held at Wroclaw Stadium in Poland, ultimately winning 4-1. This win also made them the first team to clinch the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and the Conference League titles. Palmer played a vital role in the comeback, providing two assists in the second half and earning the player of the match award.
However, when it came time for pitchside interviews, Palmer found an unexpected spot for his individual accolade. To free up a hand for the microphone, he placed the player of the match trophy inside his shorts rather than holding it with his left hand. When CBS Sports` Anita Jones asked him about it, his response was straightforward.
“I got no pockets, so I put it there,” Palmer stated.
Palmer maintained the lighthearted atmosphere during his post-match press conference, even posing a question back to the reporters in the room.
“Can I ask a question? Who gives the player of the tournament award for the competition?” he inquired, listening as someone explained the decision is made by the UEFA Technical Observer Panel.
He quickly shared the important reason behind his question.
“Okay, can someone tell him that Tosin wants it?” Palmer joked, gesturing towards teammate Tosin Adarabioyo, who erupted in laughter. “Thank you.”
These humorous moments capped off a significant outing for the 23-year-old Palmer. He was crucial to Chelsea`s second-half turnaround, attributing the team`s improved play after the break to a few simple notes from manager Enzo Maresca at halftime.
“He didn`t really say much, to be fair. He just said we`re losing too many second balls,” Palmer recalled. “He said we need to start playing like we`re in a final and I think we woke up and we showed up second half… In the second half, I just tried to find spaces where I could be more dangerous and I felt we were playing too safe at times so when I got a ball for the first assist, I thought, `I`m not going back again.`”
While this was his first major final for Chelsea, the 23-year-old Palmer is developing a reputation for delivering in big games. He previously scored in the Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup for Manchester City and netted England`s only goal in their 2-1 loss to Spain in last year`s Euros final, living up to his potential as one of football`s top rising stars.
“I love finals,” Palmer commented. “All the finals I`ve played in, I feel like I`ve contributed, so I just like the occasion.”
Palmer also recognized this victory as a foundational moment for the current Chelsea squad, which was the youngest team in Premier League history this season with an average age of 24 years and 36 days in their lineups. He described the Conference League as a notable first accomplishment for the Blues, who will take a step up by competing in the Champions League next season thanks to their fourth-place Premier League finish this campaign.
“This competition`s a good step for us,” Palmer said. “We`re playing in this because last season, we deserved to play in this. Like the manager said, now we`re in the Champions League… I think we`ve got a lot of potential. We`ve got a great squad, great manager and obviously we`re a great team, but we`re showing, like on Sunday, we can win at tough places, we can come from behind in finals. I think we`re going in the right direction.”
As for how he planned to celebrate?
“No comment,” he replied with a smirk.
