Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is on a quest for another trophy after his side booked their place in the UEFA Conference League final.
Their 2-1 semi-final second leg win over Shakhtar Donetsk at Selhurst Park on Thursday night ensured a 5-2 aggregate victory and the chance to add another trophy to their cabinet after their FA Cup and Community Shield wins last year.
“It means a lot for me, personally, and for the team. We are competitors and we want to win every game,” said the French striker.
“We work so hard. We have a fantastic manager who told us everything to do on the pitch and we do it. We have a fantastic group and we do everything. I love to laugh with everyone the team, the staff, everybody who works for the team and to bring a good atmosphere.
“It’s the first time in club history to play in Europe. They have never seen a semi-final in Europe here (at Selhurst) but we showed them we can do it. Now, we’re in the final and we will focus for that. When you start to win trophies, you don't want to stop. When you win one, you want more; you want to keep winning and that's what we do.”
Mateta and his side will face Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in the final in Leipzig at the end of the month in what will be manager Oliver Glasner’s final game in charge.
Earlier this year, the Austrian made public his intentions to leave SE25 at the end of the season and the 28-year-old forward is hopeful of providing one lasting memory for his boss, but aware of the task ahead.
“Rayo Vallecano are a fantastic team and they beat a fantastic team as well, Strasbourg, in the semi-finals – a good team who beat us in the group stages. We will respect them and it will be a hard game,” said the French international.
“We will work hard and like always, since he (Glasner) arrived, will do what he asks for. What he asks for is very hard, but we do it and we trust him, because he wins trophies. He changed how Crystal Palace was. When he came, we start to win trophies and I hope for his last game we’re going to win. I hope the FA Cup and the Community Shield will be not his last.”
The place in the UEFA Conference League final on 27th May is the end of a debut UEFA journey this season for the club, a journey which had started with the team originally in the UEFA Europa League.
However, a UEFA ruling in July saw the club demoted down to the Conference League, a decision upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but that was quickly forgotten admits Mateta.
“We are competitors and after the first day it was gone, but on that first day it was disappointing,” he said. “But, like the gaffer said, that is in the past and you have to be focused to give 100% to the Conference League. We all know that if we went to the Europa League, we would give 100% but now we're in the Conference League, we go 100%.
“We will be 100% (for the final) and I want the fans to be 100% too. They will come and I know they will be incredible for us. They will support us and I ask them to make a lot of noise.”
Share