Crystal Palace didn't want to be in the third-tier Conference League and Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly left the club. Ultimately it was Mateta's goal that won Palace the title.
A season that 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 in Leipzig, Germany, on Wednesday (Thursay AEST).
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.
Palace's win keeps English teams on track for a sweep of the three main European men's club competitions.
Aston Villa won the Europa League last week and Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday.
