Crystal Palace secure maiden European trophy in Glasner farewell

League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring the winner.Alamy Stock Photo conference league Crystal Palace secure maiden European trophy in Glasner farewell They dashed Rayo Vallecano’s own hopes of their first major trophy. 10.10pm, 27 May 2026 Share options Crystal Palace 1 Rayo Vallecano 0 CRYSTAL PALACE LIFTED their first European trophy and punched their ticket to the Europa League after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half goal proved the difference during their 1-0 Conference League final victory over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig. It marked the final chapter of a fairytale run for Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who, after guiding the Eagles to an historic FA Cup triumph and the Community Shield last season, is departing the south London club after spearheading their most successful period in history. Mateta nearly left the Eagles in January, only remaining after a knee issue denied him medical clearance for a desired move to AC Milan which left some sections of the Palace support unhappy with the France forward. He vowed to give 100 per cent to Glasner and his team-mates, and emphatically completed his redemption arc when he pounced on the rebound of a parried Adam Wharton effort to put Palace in the ascendancy, treating the euphoric Eagles fans to his signature corner-flag kick.

Adam Wharton’s participation was a concern ahead of the contest, but Glasner promised he would only start players who were “100 per cent fit”, and the midfielder was in the line-up, while Chris Richards began the game on the bench. Both thunderous fanbases lit flares before kick-off, when those in the Palace end – a sold-out contingent of about 13,000 complementing masses more in general admission – raised a banner reading ‘this story shall the good man teach his son’, a reference to King Henry V’s rallying cry to his soldiers in Shakespeare’s eponymous play. Advertisement A goalmouth scramble between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Their accompanying tifo featured a fan, wearing a Palace shirt reading ‘Ultras 05’ – the founding year of the Holmesdale Fanatics – staring out an airport window. Beside him, a departures board showed ‘Liquidation cancelled, FA Cup landed, Europa League boarding’.

Many had arrived at the RB Arena via a boisterous fan march from the city centre, while back at home, more than 10,000 Eagles supporters who had not made the trip gathered in Selhurst Park. It took a timely Florian Lejeune tackle to stop the early run of Ismaila Sarr, who had been spotted by Jean-Philippe Mateta shortly after kick-off, then Dean Henderson was called in to collect two Rayo crosses. WE HAVE DONE IT. WE ARE THE UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE WINNERS. pic.twitter.com/U1lIdgxtlv— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 27, 2026 The Spanish side threatened just before the half-hour when Brazilian forward Alemao connected with a cross which had evaded Chadi Riad and spun a volley just past the right post.

The contest was paused in the 38th minute due to a medical emergency in the stands, and it remained goalless at the break after Tyrick Mitchell nodded a free header just wide from an excellent Wharton delivery in stoppage time – his regret visible as he remained sprawled in front of Augusto Batalla’s goal in disbelief. Crystal Palace's Tyrick Mitchell heads towards goal.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Mateta, famous for his flag-kicking celebrations, finally got to demonstrate one to the 39,176 in attendance in Leipzig in the 51st minute. Rayo did not do enough to stop Wharton, who stung Batalla’s palms, and the Frenchman reacted quickly to turn the rebound in from close range and put Palace in the driver’s seat. The Eagles could not have come closer to a second moments later when Yeremy Pino’s free-kick hit both posts and Mateta’s follow-up also clipped the woodwork in a spectacular sequence.

Cushion denied, it was a nervy finish as the LaLiga outfit dialled up the pressure for a late equaliser, Glasner’s men continued to hold firm. The Austrian said on Tuesday that the best parting gift his players could give him would be the opportunity to watch them in the Europa League next season. His men fought off five minutes of stoppage time and granted him his wish. Press Association View 8 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Crystal Palace secure maiden European trophy in Glasner farewell”.

Recipient's Email Feedback on “Crystal Palace secure maiden European trophy in Glasner farewell”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community.

Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel.

Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts.

Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Name not provided Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion conference league Crystal Palace europa conference league News in 60 seconds french open Australian Open champion Rybakina crashes out; Djokovic booed at French Open Transfer Window Barcelona agree €80m deal for Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon New Zealand repel strong Irish start on opening day of Belfast Test Investigation FIFA subpoenaed by two US states over World Cup ticketing practices AnalysisReview Ulster have made great strides but next steps will be challenging Ciarán Kennedy Departures Lounge Munster confirm forwards coach Codling to leave for Top 14 FAI's General Assembly preparing motion to boycott Israel games David Sneyd Transfer News Man United close in on highly rated Brazilian midfielder Departures Lounge Munster confirm forwards coach Codling to leave for Top 14 New Zealand Rugby Scott Hansen to succeed Rob Penney as Crusaders head coach Reffing Limerick's in-house games has given John Kiely a new perspective on hurling officiating more from us Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV By-Elections 2026 Journal Media Advertise With Us Gender Pay Gap Report '25 About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Gender Pay Gap Report '25 Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2026 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account Sign in to read more articles ... Sign in or create a free account below Sign in to continue reading...

Sign in or create a free account below