Crystal Palace secured the UEFA Conference League title with a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig, thanks to a second-half strike from Jean-Philippe Mateta. The win marked a triumphant end to Oliver Glasner's tenure as manager, with the Austrian departing after delivering the club's second major trophy in as many seasons.
Palace's journey to the final was overshadowed by controversy earlier in the season when they were denied a place in the Europa League due to UEFA's multi-club ownership rules. However, the south London side bounced back emphatically, with chairman Steve Parish watching alongside UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin as his team etched their name into the history books.
The match itself was a tale of two halves. Rayo dominated the first period, with Alemão and Unai López both going close, while Palace struggled to create clear-cut chances. Glasner's side emerged transformed after the break, and Mateta broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, latching onto a rebound after Augusto Batalla had parried Adam Wharton's long-range effort.
Palace almost doubled their lead moments later when Yeremy Pino's free-kick struck both posts, but they held firm to secure the victory. The win caps a remarkable turnaround for a club that was on the brink of extinction 16 years ago, with Parish's leadership credited as a key factor in their resurgence.
For Rayo Vallecano, defeat ended a fairytale run to their first-ever European final. The Spanish side, founded 102 years ago, had defied expectations to reach Leipzig but ultimately fell short against a Palace team that proved too strong in the second half.
