Crystal Palace defeat Rayo Vallecano to win the Europa Conference League

Crystal Palace won the Europa Conference League title after beating Spain's Rayo Vallecano 1-0 on Wednesday at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.

The only goal of the match, Jean-Philippe Matita, was scored in the 51st minute, after following up Adam Wharton's shot that bounced off Vallecano keeper Augusto Batala, only to be met by the French striker with one touch into the net.

Crystal Palace dominated most of the match, threatening the Spanish team's goal with more than one dangerous ball, but only scoring a single goal, which would have given them the European title.

The Conference League is the first European title in Crystal Palace's history, so they have the chance to qualify for next season's Europa League competitions, pending the decision of the European Union.

Crystal Palace were eligible to compete in the Europa League this season, having won the FA Cup last season, but UEFA decided to exclude them due to "club ownership" rules.

American businessman John Textor owns shares in Crystal Palace and at the same time owns the majority of shares of French club Olympique Lyonnais, so the latter was given a ticket to qualify for the Europa League (due to its position in the French league), while the English club went to the Conference League.

Will the English achieve the European treble?

Thus, English clubs continue to dominate the Europa Conference League title, with 3 clubs (West Ham, Chelsea and Crystal Palace) winning the title out of 5 editions that began in the 2021-2022 season.

It is also the second European title for the English this season, after Aston Villa won the Europa League title, while the Premier League's dominance could be complete if Arsenal are crowned next Saturday in the Champions League, when they face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.

With this crowning , Austrian coach Oliver Glasner bids farewell to his team Crystal Palace in the best possible way, after he was crowned with the club with 3 titles, namely the FA Cup and the Community Shield in 2025, in addition to the Conference League.

Glasner announced his departure from Crystal Palace at the end of the current season, looking for a new challenge in his coaching career.