Just over a year after helping Crystal Palace win the FA Cup, Jean-Philippe Mateta was once again the club’s hero in the UEFA Conference League final
Jean-Philippe Mateta was Crystal Palace’s hero as Oliver Glasner brought his tenure at the club to an end by winning the Conference League. Speaking in the build-up to the game against Rayo Vallecano, Glasner made it clear that he wanted to sign off by winning another trophy.
And the Eagles turned Glasner’s dream into a reality, with Mateta the only goal of the game at the Red Bull Arena. The first-half was a tame affair with both sides failing to register a shot on target, although Tyrick Mitchell should have scored when he got on the end of Adam Wharton’s cross.
Mitchell flung himself in the air to connect with Wharton’s ball into the box, but he could only direct his header wide.
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But Palace were a different team in the second-half and six minutes after the break, Mateta broke the deadlock when he turned the ball home from close-range.
Mateta also went close to a second for Palace, but the forward was denied by a brilliant save from Augusto Batalla. While at the other end, Rayo Vallecano never looked like equalising.
The victory not only means that Glasner departs Selhurst Park having won three trophies during his tenure, but it also means the Eagles will play in the Europa League next season.
And a huge payday now awaits the club. Palace had already earned €17.3m (£15.2m) from the Conference League this season after reaching the final.
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That’s because the club received €3.2m for participating in the competition, €11.2m in prize money and €2.9m for value pillar, per Swiss Ramble.
The club have also earned another €3m in prize money following their victory over the La Liga side in Germany and are guaranteed £4m in Europa League group stage participation money, securing a total of €24.8m (£21.5m), which can be boosted by further revenue depending on their Europa League performance next season.
Speaking ahead of the game, Glasner said: “Yesterday they had a nice farewell for me, and then I said a few words. I said that for me, the best thing would be, of course, winning tomorrow – but not for winning tomorrow, but because then they plan European football in the Europa League next year.
“They would get next year what we should have gotten this year. Then I said I would like to watch on TV that they would start their Europa League with the desire and the confidence that they can win the Europa League as well. This would make me really happy.”
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