Crystal Palace captured the first European trophy in the club’s history as Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half strike sealed a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in Wednesday’s Conference League final, giving manager Oliver Glasner a fitting sendoff.
Palace had originally qualified for the Europa League after an impressive domestic campaign but were moved into the third-tier Conference League because of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules before the tournament began.
Instead of treating the demotion as a setback, Palace embraced the challenge and turned an unexpected route into a remarkable European run that ended with the club’s greatest night on the continental stage.
The breakthrough came six minutes into the second half when Adam Wharton’s effort from outside the box was pushed away by Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla, and Mateta reacted quickest to fire home the rebound from close range.
Rayo nearly responded moments later when Yeremy Pino struck both posts with a free kick, while Mateta forced another sharp save from Batalla as Palace pushed for a second goal they ultimately did not need to secure only the second major trophy in the club’s 120-year history.
