Steve Parish appeared to aim a dig at Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and UEFA after Crystal Palace lifted the Europa Conference League on Wednesday night.
Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the decisive goal that secured a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig as Oliver Glasner added another trophy to an extraordinary run.
The Austrian tactician delivered Palace’s first European honour and helped book a place in next season’s Europa League.
The victory carried extra significance given the bitter controversy that surrounded Palace’s European qualification earlier this season.
Crystal Palace are the first side in the Premier League era to win a major European trophy in their debut European campaign.
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 27, 2026
The Eagles make history in Leipzig. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/wbyXbaPaRu
The South London club had initially earned a Europa League spot through their FA Cup success, only to be demoted to the Conference League.
UEFA demoted them over multi-club ownership regulations linked to former shareholder John Textor.
Textor’s Eagle Football group also owned Lyon, who qualified for the same competition. They were granted priority due to their higher domestic league finish.
He later sold his stake in Palace, but UEFA upheld the ruling following a hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
Forest pushed for Palace’s removal from the Europa League and enlisted their own legal representation during the appeal process. They ultimately benefited from the decision.
However, they failed to qualify for Europe after a disappointing Premier League campaign.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the final whistle, the Palace chairman could not resist referencing the saga.
“To come and win it is incredible,” he said (via the BBC). “It’s an unbelievable achievement from the players and staff after everything we’ve been through this season.
“We deserve to be in the Europa League. It just shows that sometimes the good guys win in the end.”
Parish also reflected on Palace’s rise under his ownership, admitting he never imagined the club would one day conquer Europe.
The Eagles will now join eight other English clubs in continental competition next season.
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