Crystal Palace enjoy 'justice' with Europa League qualification after Conference League glory - 'Sometimes the good guys win'

Jean-Philippe Mateta's second-half strike was the decisive goal as Palace beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig, as they claimed their first ever European trophy.

The win books Palace's spot in Europe's second-tier competition next campaign, a year after they thought they had achieved the same feat.

Following their victory in the 2025 Emirates FA Cup final, they were demoted from the Europa League after UEFA deemed the club had breached multi-club ownership rules.

But now, they are back in the competition, an achievement that will be even sweeter for Palace this time round, according to Parish.

"To be in Europe, so good. Travelling around Europe, Strasbourg, Krakow. But then to win it, it's just incredible," Parish told TNT Sports.

"It's not really sunk in. Just an amazing achievement. The players, the staff, all the ups and downs we've had in the season; it's just brilliant to get to this point. Getting to the Europa League, where we deserve in the end.

"It just shows you, sometimes the good guys win."

Parish added: "Just surviving in the Premier League is difficult, but to win the FA Cup, the Community Shield and to win the Conference League, a European trophy at the first time of asking is an incredible achievement which means everything.

"When I came to the club, I never thought we'd play in Europe, let alone win a trophy, so all of our dreams have come true. We've now had a taste of it, and we want to keep it going. We have gone up a level, and we have got to try and stay there. We will have a week to celebrate and then work hard in the summer."

Wednesday's game was a tight affair, with little to separate Palace and Rayo in the first half.

That was until the 51st minute when Mateta reacted fastest when Adam Wharton's effort was parried into his path by Rayo goalkeeper Augusto Batalla, stabbing the ball home from close range.

Palace came centimetres away from a second five minutes later when they hit the post three times in the space of a few seconds, with the ball eventually being cleared away.

And Mateta once again came close soon after, but this time, Batalla was able to deny the Frenchman with a brilliant sprawling save which sent the ball inches past the post.

Rayo turned up the pressure, but Palace were able to hold on for a famous victory and one which is "justice" for the club having lost out on Europa League football.  

"That's football for you. It takes you up, it takes you down, it takes you back up again," Hoddle said.

"But I think there's justice in this because they should've been in the Europa League, they've now qualified for next year in the Europa [League] so I think life is in cycles and it's come back around to them.

"So they deserve it, not only for tonight but they've raised their level in every European game, they've been brilliant in Europe. And good luck to them. They're going to enjoy tonight."

When Palace were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League, Nottingham Forest were the beneficiaries, as the two sides swapped competitions.

And Forest were dumped out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage after being thumped 4-0 by Aston Villa in their second leg and losing 4-1 on aggregate.

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