Chelsea became the only UEFA Champions League holders to win the Europa League, and the first English club to hold all three major UEFA club titles.
Key Facts
- Final score
- Chelsea 2–1 Benfica
- Venue
- Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam
- Competition edition
- 42nd season of UEFA Europa League
- Chelsea UEFA titles
- First English club to win all three major UEFA club titles
- Substitutions made
- Chelsea made zero substitutions in the final
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Chelsea, as reigning UEFA Champions League holders, had been eliminated in the Champions League group stage — an unprecedented occurrence for defending champions — and were therefore required to continue in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, where they progressed to the final against Portuguese club Benfica.
On 15 May 2013 at the Amsterdam Arena, Chelsea defeated Benfica 2–1 in the UEFA Europa League final, securing the club's first title in this competition. Chelsea made no substitutions throughout the match, a feat not achieved in a major European final since Manchester United in 1991.
By winning the Europa League, Chelsea became the only Champions League holders to also win the Europa League, and the fourth club — and first from England — to hold all three major UEFA club trophies. The victory also qualified Chelsea to face Bayern Munich in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup.