CHELSEA missed out on winning the Uefa Youth League for the third time in four years after losing 3-0 to Barcelona in the final.
Barca striker Alejandro Marques netted either side of half-time at the Colovray Stadium, before Abel Ruiz fired in a third in stoppage time.
It was Chelsea who almost opened the scoring in the 12th minute, with Callum Hudson-Odoi inches away from tapping in Reece James’ low cross down the right flank.
Winger Carles Perez was proving to be a handful for the Blues, and his effort sailed over the bar after cutting inside.
And Barca’s pressure paid off in the 30th minute, when Marques headed home into an empty net after Abel Ruiz dinked his cross to the back post.
Alex Collado then almost made the net ripple moments later, faking a shot before lashing a strike towards the right corner, but it was deflected narrowly wide.
And the Spanish side didn’t have to wait too long after the break as Marques capitalised on a slip from Marc Guehi, to dispatch his effort into the bottom left corner.
Joe Edwards’ men complained for a foul on the centre-back, but the goal stood as the West Londoners desperately went in search of a goal.
Hudson-Odoi almost immediately pulled a goal back, but his free-kick cannoned off the post and away from danger.
Former Chelsea midfielder Josh McEachran’s brother – George – was pulling the strings in the middle of the park, and he found Luke McCormick from 15 yards out, but he scuffed his attempt.
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Harvey St Clair then went close for Chelsea as the game approached the last ten minutes, as the winger dragged his shot wide of the near post after jinxing his way inside the box.
Josh Grant was then the next Blues player to have his head in his hands, as he couldn’t divert Hudson-Odoi’s delivery beyond goalkeeper Inaki Pena.
Ruiz then rubbed salt in the wounds of Chelsea, as his low drive clipped off Grant and nestled in the bottom left corner beyond the diving arms of Jamie Cumming.
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