Oliver Glasner ended his time as Crystal Palace manager with a historic European title, leading the English club to a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final in Leipzig. It was a landmark night for Palace, who reached European competition for the first time in their 121-year history and immediately won the trophy. For Glasner, the victory marked his second success in a European final, four years after guiding Eintracht Frankfurt to the Europa League title in 2022.
The only goal came in the 51st minute through Jean-Philippe Mateta, a former Mainz striker and one of Glasner’s ex-Bundesliga players. Batalla, the Rayo goalkeeper, failed to control a save, and Mateta reacted quickest to steer the loose ball into the net with his left foot. It was Crystal Palace’s first shot on target in the match, but it proved decisive. Mateta later nearly doubled the lead when Yeremy’s free kick struck the inside of the post and the rebound also fell to the French forward, only for his effort to hit the woodwork again.
Crystal Palace had to endure pressure late in the game, but the 1-0 lead held until the final whistle, sealing not only the trophy but also qualification for next season’s Europa League. The result was celebrated by around 18,000 Palace supporters among the 39,176 spectators inside Leipzig’s stadium.
The match was briefly interrupted in the first half after a Rayo Vallecano fan fell down the stairs in the stadium. The supporter was carried out on a stretcher, and referee Maurizio Mariani paused play for about three minutes.
The final also featured a memorable celebration from Glasner after the trophy presentation. He performed his trademark “Bauchrutscher,” a belly slide through a guard of honour formed by his players. The celebration has been associated with him since April 2022, when he first used it after Eintracht Frankfurt’s shock win over Barcelona at Camp Nou.
For Glasner, the night confirmed his reputation as one of Europe’s notable knockout-stage coaches. For Crystal Palace, it delivered a first major continental triumph and a place in the club’s history books.
