Awarded a seemingly unjust UECL relegation penalty, they repaid it with a championship... Palace wins another trophy! This time, the first European title in the club's history.

*This content was translated by AI.

England's Crystal Palace has added another championship trophy. This time, they stood atop a European club competition, surpassing England.

On the 28th (Korea time), Palace defeated Rayo Vallecano (Spain) 1-0 in the 2025-2026 UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) final held at Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany. With this victory, Palace secured its first-ever European club competition title since the club's founding in 1905.

English clubs have shown particularly strong performance in the UECL, which was established in 2021. Of the five tournaments held so far, English teams have claimed the title three times. Following West Ham in 2023 and Chelsea in 2025, Palace now lifts the championship trophy.

Palace has lifted no fewer than three trophies in the past two years. First, in the 2024-2025 FA Cup final, they defeated the powerhouse Manchester City to claim the club's first major tournament title. Then, at the Community Shield held early this season, they overcame Liverpool to add another championship trophy. And now, by reaching the summit of the UECL, they have reached the peak of their upward momentum.

This championship carries a special story. Palace secured a spot in the Europa League (UEL) by winning the FA Cup last season. The FA Cup winner can compete in the UEL the following season regardless of league position. However, Palace had to head to the UECL, one tier below the UEL.

The reason was UEFA's multi-club ownership regulations. American businessman John Textor holds stakes not only in Palace but also in Olympique Lyonnais (France). Lyon also held qualification for the UEL. UEFA determined that if both teams competed in the same tournament simultaneously, a conflict of interest could arise, and ultimately, Palace's competition was adjusted from the UEL to the UECL.

From Palace's perspective, this decision could have been seen as unjust. However, in the end, Palace turned that frustration into a championship. Though relegated to a lower-tier competition, they ultimately reached the summit and secured the club's first-ever European title. Furthermore, this UECL championship has once again secured them a spot in the UEL for the next season.

The hero who brought the championship to Palace was striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. In the 6th minute of the second half, a long-range shot by Palace midfielder Adam Wharton was saved by the opposing goalkeeper, but Mateta, positioned in front of the goal, calmly pushed the loose ball into the net.

Even after taking the lead, Palace manager Oliver Glasner did not retreat. He made a bold choice to substitute in attacking players to seek additional goals. Rather than dropping deep defensively, Palace focused on offense, refusing to easily yield control of the match, and ultimately held on to the one-goal lead to lift the championship trophy.

French striker Mateta was strongly linked with Italian powerhouse AC Milan during the January transfer window. However, the transfer fell through, and he remained at Palace. In this final, he became the hero leading Palace to victory. Football statistics outlet FotMob awarded Mateta a match rating of 7.3. The highest rating went to Palace defender Shadi Riad, who recorded a 7.8 by showcasing an impenetrable defense with three tackles, seven clearances, four header clearances, and two interceptions.

On the other hand, the Spanish club Rayo reached the European club competition final for the first time in the club's 102-year history but could not cross the final hurdle and bowed their heads.

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*This content was translated by AI.