Crystal Palace Wins 1-0 Conference League Final, Secures Europa Return in Glasner's Last Game
Updated
Updated · ESPN · May 27
Crystal Palace Wins 1-0 Conference League Final, Secures Europa Return in Glasner's Last Game
18 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 27
Jean-Philippe Mateta's second-half goal gave Crystal Palace a 1-0 win over RB Leipzig in Leipzig, delivering the club's first European trophy and a Europa League place for next season.
Oliver Glasner, who announced in January that this season would be his last, said Palace had reached "where they should be" after a Europa League berth was delayed by UEFA penalties over multi-club ownership rules.
Adam Wharton, a doubt before kickoff with a swollen ankle, played through painkillers and set up the winner when his shot was parried into Mateta's path.
Glasner closed a two-year spell with a second major trophy at Palace, crediting players for meeting his demanding standards and signing off with a farewell to reporters after his final press conference.
With their miracle manager gone, can Crystal Palace build a lasting European legacy or was this just a fleeting triumph?
After delivering a historic trophy, what internal conflicts drove the celebrated manager to abandon Crystal Palace at its peak?
Banned one year, champions the next. Does Crystal Palace's triumph expose a fundamental flaw in UEFA's ownership rules?