Palace's magical night in pictures
· Yahoo Sports
January brought the chill of Macclesfield.
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May delivered the sun and shimmer of silverware in Leipzig.
One flick of a Jean-Philippe Mateta leg and the ripple of a net ushered in a new era for Crystal Palace - winners in Europe. There will always be Wembley but now there are continental moments to cherish forever.
[Getty Images]Ex-Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson told listeners on BBC Radio 5 Live: "Memories made for a lifetime. Listen to the noise after the final whistle. The Crystal Palace supporters have done themselves proud and their team has done them proud. It's not been the prettiest of games at times but they have worked hard and stuck to the game plan. The big players, Wharton and Mateta, stepped up when it was asked of them and they have got it over the line against a difficult opponent."
Palace are getting familiar with that winning feeling. But ex-England manager Glenn Hoddle encouraged them to truly savour it, however hard that may be.
"You try and take it in but it's tough to take in," Hoddle explained. "You wish sometimes you could go back there, and bottle it. With a final there's a build of tension and then this release.
"Palace are drilled. It just shows with a little hard work and belief, you can achieve anything in football. This is justice; they should have been in the Europa League and now they have qualified for it next year."
While Oliver Glasner slid on his chest on the Leipzig turf, some fans watched back at a venue in Croydon, with pints of refreshment air born on this night to remember.
[Getty Images]Glasner was at the heart of it all. Palace's departing head coach, now an iconic figure of success for every generation of Eagles fan.
BBC Sport's Phil McNulty shared his views on X, stating: "Glasner a coach with a positive attacking outlook, always looking up rather than managing expectations down. He will be missed at Crystal Palace but won't be short of offers."
But is there any route to a change of decision for Glasner before his exit?
Ex-Premier League goalkeeper Robinson explained: "I just don't know if the chapter is finished. All the big jobs are closing if you look at Maresca to Man City, Mourinho back to Real Madrid, Alonso to Chelsea, for the big jobs the big names are all linked. I just don't know. Is there any way that they can persuade Glasner?"
Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison added: "I went to a Palace game about a month ago and thought surely he is going to be staying.
"There's no more jobs, but the club were adamant that Glasner has made his mind up, and he wants a different challenge, even if he has to wait.
"He is one of those. Once he makes his mind up, he sticks with it. But you never know. I hope he does stay, but I don't think he will."
[Getty Images]The back page of Friday's Express carried the headline 'Palace in Wonderland'.
While headline writers were finding apt words, fans watching on a big screen at Selhurst Park took to the pitch.
Meanwhile, as Freed From Desire played and fans danced in Leipzig, the club's social media staff were quick to inform followers the biography on X had been updated.
[BBC]And Mateta's magic knew no bounds. The tag of match-winner was seemingly not enough as he reached for one photographer's camera.
[Getty Images]One does however have to question - could he possibly have taken a more satisfying and magical picture than this?
Crystal Palace - Europa Conference League winners.
[Getty Images]