Crystal Palace chief Steve Parish fires subtle dig at Nottm Forest after Conference League win

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Crystal Palace chief Steve Parish claimed ‘the good guys win in the end’ following his side’s Conference League success - in an apparent dig at Nottingham Forest . The Eagles lifted their first-ever European crown in Leipzig on Wednesday evening with a 1-0 win against Spanish side Rayo Vallecano.

Their major success comes less than 10 months after they were demoted from the Europa League due to former investor John Textor’s involvement in both Lyon and Palace. Parish appealed the decision in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport but it was upheld.

Nottingham Forest claimed their spot instead. An interview from owner Evangelos Marinakis went viral last summer, after the Midlands side agreed a new deal with midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, who was linked with Tottenham . The Greek businessman claimed 'in the end, we always win'.

And it appears that Parish has used that interview as inspiration for his words after Palace’s European success. He said: "To be in Europe, travelling round Europe [is one thing] but to come and win it is incredible and it hasn't really sunk it. It's an incredible achievement.

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"The players, the staff, all of the ups and downs we've had this season, it's brilliant to get here and to get into the Europa League where we deserve to be. It just shows that sometimes the good guys win in the end, I think.”

He continued: "When I bought the club I wasn't sure we'd ever play in Europe, let alone win a trophy. It's a dream come true.

“We have got a taste for it now, we want to keep it going. We have gone up a level and we have got to try and stay there. We will have a week to celebrate and then work hard in the summer."

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Palace’s outgoing boss Oliver Glasner also pointed to Palace’s demotion from the Europa League. Asked about his team talk, he said: “I said to the players, get now what you deserve after winning the FA Cup : the Europa League. I think now, this was the one-year delay. Sometimes, clearly, you have to take a round trip and now we are there.”

Palace also took aim at Forest owner Marinakis in their post-victory social media activity. They shared an image of boss Glasner with the three trophies he has won over the past 12 months alongside the caption: “At the end of the day, we always win…”

While Palace claimed the Conference League trophy, Forest only reached the semi finals of the Europa League and were eventually beaten by Premier League rivals Aston Villa .

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