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FRIDAY | MAY 29, 2026

Malaysian Paper

Outgoing Palace boss Glasner salutes Eagles after Conference League final victory ‘Back where we belong’

Crystal Palace’s players celebrate after winning the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano yesterday in Leipzig, Germany. – AFPPIC

D EPARTING Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner toasted yester day’s Conference League final victory by saying the club were back where they belong after a “year’s detour”. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s sec ond-half goal took Palace to a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano and a maiden European triumph. It also earned them a place in the Europa League. Palace’s FA Cup win last sea son qualified them for this sea son’s Europa League, but Uefa revoked their place in the second tier competition due to multi-club ownership rules. “I said to the players, get now what you deserve after winning the FA Cup – the Europa League,” Glasner told reporters after the match. “Now, it’s a one-year delay, the club, the fans, the players get what they deserve. Sometimes you have to take a detour, and now we’re there.” In January, Glasner announced he would leave the club in the summer. Palace had never won a trophy when he arrived, but he leaves having lifted the FA Cup, Community Shield and now a first European trophy. “We hear a lot when the fans say thank you to us for giving them the best day of their life and all these emotions. And I said thank you to the players, because

it’s the same for me,” Glasner said. “Because they gave me great, incredible days in my life and that’s what I really appreciate.” Glasner said his time at Palace was “a good chapter to read in the Crystal Palace book, but other chapters will follow.” Defender Tyrick

move to AC Milan.

words. It’s incredible, south London, the fans. It’s unbeliev able,” Wharton said. “The start of the game was a bit cagey, as it’s bound to be in a final, but we grew into it, found where the spaces were.” Both teams were competing in their first European final and so the cagey start to pro ceedings at Red Bull Arena – the home of RB Leipzig – was perhaps unsurprising. Alemao turned a half decent opportunity wide before Unai Lopez placed an effort past the post in the Spanish side’s best opportunities of the first half. But the clearest chance of the open ing 45 minutes fell to Palace just before the break, when Mitchell headed wide after Wharton had found him with a superb ball into the box. Palace took the lead just six minutes into the sec ond half when Wharton’s strike was palmed into Mateta’s path by Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla and the forward diverted it into the net. It was Mateta’s 16th goal of the season for Palace – and he almost left the club in January before a knee injury scuppered a

Yeremy Pino then hit both posts with a freekick before teeing up Mateta for another chance, but this time Batalla pulled off a fine save. Rayo, who have the lowest budget in La Liga, struggled to create any real chances late on as Palace held on for their historic moment – and delivered for Glasner in his final game as Eagles boss. Speculation has swirled about the Austrian’s future, with reports of a move to another Premier League club or a potential return to Germany. Glasner though said his only plan was to celebrate. He said he does not have the “desire or the energy to speak with another club, because I felt duty bound to give 100% of Oliver Glasner (to Palace).” “I haven’t even thought about anything past tomorrow,” he con tinued. “Today’s a day for celebrating, and anyone who knows me knows I’m completely focused on this and haven’t been able to do anything else except concentrate on the final. “And I can really let loose, and I’m going to do that with the play ers today. “Then tomorrow, I’ll fly back to London with a bit of a hango ver. And then it’s time to get set tled in and go back to my family.” – AFP/Agencies

Mitchell said winning the Conference League felt like “pure delight” after a decade at the London club. “ I t ’ s amazing, it’s the same feel ing that we had when we won the FA Cup,” Mitchell told TNT Sports . “It’s just pure delight, pure emo tions and we’re just happy that we were able to get over the line.

“It definitely is (the hard est season we’ve played). We play 60 games a season,” he said. “So many of our bodies are not used to it. We had times when we weren’t winning. We lost a couple games in this competition.” Adam Wharton, whose shot rebounded into the path of Mateta for Palace’s goal, struggled to sum up what the win meant for the team and their supporters. “You can’t put the feeling into

Palace manager Oliver Glasner celebrates with the trophy after the Eagles won the Conference League final yesterday. – AFPPIC

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