Crystal Palace Focused On Conference League Final Triumph As Glasner Says Farewell In Style

Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano meet in Leipzig for the Conference League final, with Oliver Glasner aiming to depart Selhurst Park as a European champion and OPTA numbers giving Palace a 51.2% chance of victory in this first major continental showpiece for both clubs.

Dean Henderson is eager to help deliver that trophy, knowing the match is Glasner’s last in charge after announcing an exit at the season’s end, and the goalkeeper believes Palace’s unity and shared purpose can carry the team past Rayo Vallecano in this unique occasion.

Glasner already guided Crystal Palace to the FA Cup last season, the club’s first major honour, and now has the chance to leave by lifting a European title, something previously achieved in farewell games only by Keith Burkinshaw with Tottenham in the 1984 UEFA Cup and Maurizio Sarri with Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League.

This is Crystal Palace’s debut appearance in a major European final, reached after a 5-2 aggregate victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals, yet they arrive from a 15th-place Premier League finish and just two wins in their last 10 matches, both Conference League successes during this continental run.

Henderson, who saved a vital penalty during Palace’s FA Cup triumph, explained how much the club wants to reward Glasner and each other for this journey, saying: "The togetherness in this group is phenomenal, Henderson, who was instrumental with a penalty save in Palace's FA Cup win, said. All the lads are pushing in the right direction for each other. All the staff at the training ground, everyone. It's just like a family club. We're all pushing towards the same end goal. Obviously, it would be a great way to finish the movie off for Glasner as well. Everyone wants that happy ending, and everyone's working towards that. It'd be unbelievable for him, wouldn't it? Obviously, the best manager this club's ever had, and to finish on such a high would be sensational."

Rayo Vallecano mirror Palace by also contesting a first major European final, having secured a 2-0 aggregate semi-final win over Strasbourg to reach Leipzig, and they closed the LaLiga season in eighth place, missing out on European qualification by only one point while stretching a nine-match unbeaten streak in all competitions.

On the touchline, Inigo Perez arrives at 38 years and 129 days on matchday, making Perez the youngest Spaniard to coach a major European final since Pep Guardiola led Barcelona, also aged 38 years and 129 days, to a 2-0 Champions League victory over Manchester United in 2009.

For Crystal Palace, Ismaila Sarr has been a standout figure in the Conference League, scoring nine goals this season, a tally exceeded in a single campaign only by Cyriel Dessers with 10 for Feyenoord in 2021-22 and Ayoub El Kaabi with 11 for Olympiacos in 2023-24, while Sarr could become the first player to score in six consecutive matches in this competition.

Sarr’s output is especially notable because this is Palace’s first major European campaign, and it is only the sixth time a player has struck at least nine goals in a club’s debut season in Europe, with Stan Bowles the only one to reach double figures, scoring 11 for Queens Park Rangers in 1976-77.

Rayo Vallecano’s defensive leader Florian Lejeune has also shaped this Conference League season, ranking first for headed clearances with 37 and interceptions with 30, and second for total clearances on 66, while previous Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace for Newcastle United all ended 1-0, with Lejeune winning twice and losing once.

Conference League final: Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano historical records

This Conference League final is the first meeting between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano in any European competition, with Palace the first club since Alaves in the 2000-01 UEFA Cup, when the Spanish side lost 5-4 to Liverpool, to reach a major European final in their debut season.

The last team to win a major European title in their first season was KV Mechelen, who claimed the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987-88, while this competition has often favoured English clubs, with West Ham winning the 2022-23 edition and Chelsea triumphing in 2024-25, whereas Real Betis are the only Spanish side to reach the final previously, losing to Chelsea.

Crystal Palace have collected eight victories from 14 Conference League matches this season, the highest number of wins recorded by any club in its first major European campaign, while their 25 goals are bettered in debut seasons only by Alaves with 35 in 2000-01, Valencia with 33 in 1961-62 and Queens Park Rangers with 26 in 1976-77.

Rayo Vallecano’s broader European record also stands out, with 14 wins from 22 major continental fixtures, alongside three draws and five defeats, giving Rayo a 64% win rate, which is the strongest percentage for any side with at least 20 European matches played.

Inigo Perez described Rayo Vallecano’s journey with clear pride, telling UEFA: "We're still floating on a cloud after what we achieved in Strasbourg, Perez told UEFA. I don't think we're fully aware of the milestone we've achieved, and it'll take some time to really take it all in. Even so, as it's been a long journey, we're already acknowledging the first steps we've taken, the lessons learnt and the experience we're gaining. The final step is obviously in Leipzig now, and we hope that our story has a happy ending."

As Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano step out in Leipzig for the Conference League final, Glasner chases a decorated farewell, Henderson and Sarr seek to extend Palace’s productive European debut, Perez and Lejeune aim to prolong Rayo’s unbeaten surge, and both clubs stand one match from a historic first major European trophy.