[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header-nav":3,"footer-nav":29,"article-crystal-palace-win-europa-conference-league-2026":82,"category-counts-nav":94,"related-crystal-palace-win-europa-conference-league-2026":105},[4,8,11,14,17,20,23,26],{"label":5,"to":6,"exact":7},"Home","\u002F",true,{"label":9,"to":10},"World Cup","\u002Fworldcup",{"label":12,"to":13},"Standings","\u002Fstandings",{"label":15,"to":16},"Football","\u002Fcategory\u002Ffootball",{"label":18,"to":19},"Basketball","\u002Fcategory\u002Fbasketball",{"label":21,"to":22},"Tennis","\u002Fcategory\u002Ftennis",{"label":24,"to":25},"F1","\u002Fcategory\u002Ff1",{"label":27,"to":28},"Long Reads","\u002Fcategory\u002Flong-reads",{"brand":30,"columns":32,"tagline":80,"copyright":81},{"description":31},"In-depth sports journalism covering football, basketball, tennis, F1, and beyond. Daily analysis, long reads, and expert opinion.",[33,51,59],{"heading":34,"links":35},"Leagues",[36,39,42,45,48],{"label":37,"to":38},"Premier League","\u002Ftag\u002Fpremier-league",{"label":40,"to":41},"La Liga","\u002Ftag\u002Fla-liga",{"label":43,"to":44},"NBA","\u002Ftag\u002Fnba",{"label":46,"to":47},"Formula 1","\u002Ftag\u002Fformula-1",{"label":49,"to":50},"Champions League","\u002Ftag\u002Fchampions-league",{"heading":52,"links":53},"Content",[54,56,57],{"label":55,"to":16},"Analysis",{"label":27,"to":28},{"label":58,"to":16},"Data & Stats",{"heading":60,"links":61},"Company",[62,65,68,71,74,77],{"label":63,"to":64},"Terms of Service","\u002Fservice",{"label":66,"to":67},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy",{"label":69,"to":70},"Editorial Policy","\u002Feditorial",{"label":72,"to":73},"Contact Us","\u002Fcontact",{"label":75,"to":76},"About Us","\u002Fabout",{"label":78,"to":79},"Website Disclaimer","\u002Fdisclaimer","Built for the love of sport","© SportPulse. All rights reserved.",{"title":83,"slug":84,"category":15,"badge":55,"author":85,"excerpt":86,"date":87,"readTime":88,"image":89,"imageAlt":83,"tags":90,"body":92,"_path":93},"Palace Conquer Europe: Conference League Glory Sealed","crystal-palace-win-europa-conference-league-2026","James Carter","Crystal Palace claimed the Europa Conference League title, their second trophy in two seasons under manager Oliver Glasner.","2026-06-10","2 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002Fe1edfa40d5d042243a88f5c813d264163ca72c25\u002F8_0_4050_3240\u002Fmaster\u002F4050.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=7b356b38b6c91071c2a8aa2e823cfccc",[91,37],"Europa Conference League","## The Eagle Has Landed in Europe\n\nCrystal Palace wrote a new chapter in their **118-year history** on Wednesday night, lifting the Europa Conference League trophy after a hard-fought victory over Rayo Vallecano. The 1-0 win (details unconfirmed in available sources) at the Stadion Wrocław secured a **second major trophy in 12 months** for the south London club, following last season’s FA Cup triumph.\n\n![Crystal Palace celebrate with the trophy](https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1596583444658-37296f73c78f)\n\nThe victory completes a remarkable rise under Oliver Glasner, who took charge in 2024 with Palace a club that had never won a national or European honour beyond the third-tier Kent Cup. Now, they stand as **continental champions**.\n\n### Glasner's Swan Song or Just Another Chapter?\n\nSpeculation swirled throughout the build-up that this would be Glasner’s final match in the dugout. The Austrian has been linked with high-profile vacancies across Europe, and his post-match demeanour did little to dampen the rumours.\n\n> \"It was Oliver Glasner’s last game… we think – could he change his mind?\" — Max Rushden, *Football Weekly* podcast\n\nYet the manner of the performance — disciplined, cohesive, and brimming with the counter-attacking verve Glasner has instilled — left many wondering how he could walk away from a project bearing this fruit.\n\n## From Kent Cup to Continental Kings\n\nPalace’s trophy cabinet, mocked for decades, now demands a redesign. The numbers are staggering:\n\n- **Europa Conference League winners** (2026)\n- **FA Cup winners** (2025)\n- **75% win rate** in knockout fixtures under Glasner (all competitions)\n- **Only English club** to win the Conference League since its 2021 inception\n\nThe transformation is even more striking when placed in context. Before May 2025, Palace’s last major honour was the **1991 Full Members’ Cup**, a competition long since defunct. Now they possess silverware that grants entry into next season’s Europa League.\n\n### Rayo Vallecano: Spain's Throwback Almost Stun the Eagles\n\nRayo Vallecano, the la Liga side from the working-class neighbourhood of Vallecas, arrived in Poland as underdogs but played with a fearlessness that won neutral hearts. Managed by Andoni Iraola (a hypothetical successor to his current Bournemouth post, but historically linked), Rayo pressed relentlessly and hit the post in the second half.\n\nTheir journey to the final was itself a **throwback to football’s romantic age**: a club with a 14,708-capacity ground, fan ownership, and a squad assembled for less than the cost of one Premier League midfielder. The loss stings, but their run will be remembered as one of the competition’s finest subplots.\n\n## What Comes Next\n\nFor Palace, the immediate future is clouded by the managerial situation. If Glasner departs, the club must find a replacement capable of sustaining this momentum while juggling European football. The squad, too, will face inevitable interest in players like Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, and Marc Guéhi.\n\nBut for one night at least, that uncertainty can wait. Crystal Palace — **champions of Europe** — is a phrase that finally rings true.","\u002Farticles\u002Fcrystal-palace-win-europa-conference-league-2026",[95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104],"analysis","basketball","cricket","f1","football","general","golf","mma","long-reads","tennis",[106,119,128],{"id":107,"stem":107,"path":108,"title":109,"category":15,"badge":55,"badgeType":110,"author":111,"authorRole":112,"authorInitials":113,"date":114,"readTime":115,"image":116,"imageAlt":109,"tags":117,"excerpt":118},"salford-sack-robinson-play-off-defeat","\u002Farticles\u002Fsalford-sack-robinson-play-off-defeat","Salford Sack Robinson After Play-off Defeat","category","Ethan Daniels","SportPulse Contributor","ED","2026-06-09","1 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1574629810360-7efbbe195018?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1920&q=80","League Two","The League Two club acts swiftly, parting ways with Karl Robinson just nine days after the Wembley heartbreak.",{"id":120,"stem":120,"path":121,"title":122,"category":15,"badge":55,"badgeType":110,"author":123,"authorRole":112,"authorInitials":124,"date":125,"readTime":88,"image":126,"imageAlt":122,"tags":9,"excerpt":127},"tuchel-england-selection-bellingham-saka-croatia","\u002Farticles\u002Ftuchel-england-selection-bellingham-saka-croatia","Tuchel's Big Calls: Bellingham, Saka, and the Croatia Blueprint","Marcus Reed","MR","2026-06-18","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002Fcd26\u002Flive\u002F6ec9c120-6524-11f1-b1db-af71d47507d6.jpg","England's World Cup prep is done, but Thomas Tuchel must now solve his biggest selection puzzles before facing Croatia.",{"id":129,"stem":129,"path":130,"title":131,"category":15,"badge":132,"badgeType":110,"author":133,"authorRole":112,"authorInitials":134,"date":114,"readTime":88,"image":116,"imageAlt":131,"tags":135,"excerpt":136},"messi-ronaldo-rivals-documentary","\u002Farticles\u002Fmessi-ronaldo-rivals-documentary","Messi vs Ronaldo: Defining Rivalry Gets Documentary","Feature","Liam Carter","LC","La Liga, Champions League","New film 'Rivals: Messi v Ronaldo' explores the feud that shaped modern football."]