Crystal Palace’s Conference League win makes European history twice over!
Crystal Palace made history by winning the Conference League final, beating Rayo Vallecano to claim their first-ever European trophy. This was also a special moment for Oliver Glasner, as it was his last game as their coach. The match took place in Leipzig, and with the win, Palace secured a spot in next season’s Europa League—something they were originally supposed to be in this year before a controversial UEFA decision changed things.
The star of the game was striker Jean-Phillipe Mateta, who scored the only goal just five minutes after halftime. He tapped in the ball after a shot from Adam Wharton was saved, then celebrated in his usual corner-kick style, sending Palace fans wild.
Thanks to this amazing achievement, Palace will join Bournemouth and Sunderland in next season’s Europa League group stage. Although this win doesn’t add extra European spots next season, it does mean a record nine English teams will play in Europe again.
Alongside Palace, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Liverpool will compete in the Champions League next season. Liverpool finished fifth but got in thanks to the Premier League’s European Performance Spot (EPS). Brighton will be back in the Conference League after finishing eighth, just ahead of Brentford on goal difference.
Another exciting moment from the final came from Ivory Coast’s Evann Guessand. The former Nice player made history by becoming the first footballer to win two European trophies in one season! Aston Villa signed him for £30.5 million in August, and he played seven times and scored two goals as they won the Europa League under Unai Emery. Then, loaned to Palace in January, he helped them in the Conference League, making 13 appearances and scoring in the play-offs.
At 24, Guessand has achieved something no player has before. The closest was last season’s Antony, who helped Real Betis reach the Conference League final before losing to Chelsea, while his parent club Manchester United lost the Europa League final to Spurs.
With both the Europa League and Conference League titles now with English clubs, it’s the first time since 2019 that multiple major European trophies are held by Premier League teams. And if Arsenal beats Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday, they’ll take it to a whole new level!