Business Standard
Crystal Palace didn't want to be in the third-tier Conference League and Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly left the club. On Wednesday, it was Mateta's goal that won Palace the title. A season which began with pleas to play in a higher competition ended with Palace's first-ever European trophy as Mateta's goal lifted his team to a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano in the final. The French forward, who was close to leaving in January before a transfer collapsed, scored on a rebound in the 51st minute after Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla parried Adam Wharton's long-range shot. "I feel fantastic! ... First time in Europe, we did it! Now I just want to celebrate, I just want to party," Mateta told TNT Sports. "It's incredible. We did everything. I told you about the intensity we're going to put. I'm tired right now. I gave everything." Along with giving outgoing coach Oliver Glasner the perfect send-off, Palace's win, which came in its first season playing in Europe, keeps English teams on trac
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