Crystal Palace’s Eddie Nketiah celebrates with the UEFA Conference League Trophy (Photo by Maja Hettig/Getty Images)
Jean-Philippe Mateta became Crystal Palace’s hero after the English club beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the Conference League final on Wednesday to win their first ever European title.
The win also gave outgoing coach Oliver Glasner the perfect send-off before leaving the club at the end of the season.The match remained tense and negative for most of the first half, and neither team was able to shoot on goal. Palace finally took the lead in the 51st minute when Adam Wharton’s long-range shot was blocked by Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla. Mateta reacted quickly and scored from the rebound to give Palace the lead.
The victory capped a memorable period for Palace under Glasner, who took charge in February 2024. Having already led the club to their first major trophy via the FA Cup last season, the Austrian now leaves with a European title as well.Palace fans marked the occasion by unfurling a giant banner bearing the phrase “Europa League: Boarding” before kick-off, with the win also securing the club a place in next season’s Europa League.
Glassner admitted that he now plans to follow the team’s journey from home next year.The result also kept English clubs on their way to sweeping Europe’s biggest competitions this season after Aston Villa won the Europa League and Arsenal qualified for the Champions League final.For Rayo Vallecano, it was a heartbreaking end to their first major European final. Some fans cried after the final whistle when their team failed against Palace.Rayo had some chances, including an early Alemão strike, while Palace almost doubled the lead when Jeremi Benno’s free-kick hit the posts but missed. Despite their efforts, the Spanish side were unable to find an equaliser, as Palace held on to make history.