Crystal Palace's Historic European Journey
Crystal Palace will face Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on 27 May. Initially reluctant participants in the Conference League, Palace are now one match away from securing the trophy and furthering their club’s history.
In a memorable night at a vibrant Selhurst Park, the Eagles defeated Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1, securing a 5-2 aggregate victory in the semi-finals. Their European campaign, which began after an unsuccessful appeal in a Swiss courtroom against their demotion from the Europa League, has been remarkable.
Following their FA Cup and Community Shield victories in 2025 at Wembley, Palace’s journey has taken them across Europe — Norway, Poland, France, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus, Italy, and back to Poland — with the final awaiting in Germany.
If Palace triumph in Leipzig on Wednesday, 27 May, against Spanish side Rayo Vallecano, who overcame Gary O'Neil's Strasbourg 2-0 on aggregate in their semi-final, it would mark an unprecedented era of success for the club.
Manager Oliver Glasner, appointed in February 2024 and set to depart this summer, is poised to claim a third trophy during a remarkable tenure. The 51-year-old expressed his disbelief at the achievements.
"I spoke to the chairman before the match, he always comes into my office," Glasner said. "I said, 'do you ever think we would be playing in the semi-final of a European competition?' He said 'no'.
"I said, 'when we talked for the first time three years ago, I didn't think about it'. This is what you achieve if you work hard and stick together in tough moments - and we have had a few. When you stick together in difficult moments, you get the reward."
Electric Atmosphere at Selhurst Park
Ismaila Sarr scored his ninth goal of the Conference League, becoming the competition’s top scorer.
"I really enjoy the European nights at Selhurst," added Glasner. "We had to grow into the competition and the fans had to grow. If you look when we started against Larnaca, the level of excitement increased and increased."
The atmosphere at Selhurst Park on Thursday was electric. Shakhtar fans were vocal in one corner, but the home supporters created an unforgettable environment with continuous clapping and cheering.
The club anthem, "Glad All Over," was sung louder than ever before, complemented by pyrotechnics that enhanced the celebratory mood.
"It was a fantastic atmosphere and a great night at Selhurst," Glasner said. "It's a huge achievement and great credit to the players, everybody could see how good Shakhtar are."
Goalkeeper and captain Dean Henderson captured the spirit of the occasion.
"It's incredible for the football club. You see the connection between the players and the supporters, it's fantastic. It's unbelievable.
When you come in from a game like that [the FA Cup final], it gives you confidence and makes you hungry. We've got an ambitious group of players as well.
It's pretty incredible, honestly, to get into a European competition with Crystal Palace, never mind make the final. We've got to deliver something special. We need to get back what we deserve as well [Europa League qualification]."
A Golden Period in the Club's 120-Year History
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson celebrated with fans after the game, grabbing a megaphone to join their cheers.
Since its founding in 1905, Crystal Palace has rarely tasted trophy success. Their most notable achievement before recent years was winning the Zenith Data Systems Cup in 1991, with Ian Wright scoring twice in a 4-1 Wembley final victory over Everton.
However, the past 12 months have been unforgettable for Eagles supporters. Eberechi Eze’s goal secured a 1-0 win over Manchester City for Palace’s first FA Cup triumph, followed by a Community Shield victory via penalty shootout against reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.
Despite this success, Palace’s anticipated entry into the Europa League was revoked. UEFA sanctioned the club for breaching multi-club ownership rules, as American businessman John Textor, who held a 43% stake in Palace until June, was also the majority owner of Lyon, another Europa League qualifier.
Lyon finished higher in their domestic league, securing the Europa League spot, while Palace was relegated to the third-tier Conference League, with Nottingham Forest taking their place.
Palace appealed the decision, with chairman Steve Parish attending an eight-hour hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, but the appeal was unsuccessful.
Nonetheless, after 16 matches across Europe, Palace have reached their first European final, with fans celebrating news that Forest lost 4-0 to Aston Villa, ending their Europa League campaign.
The Conference League final will also serve as a fitting farewell for Glasner, who has consistently stated he will leave Selhurst Park at season’s end. Despite this, fans have serenaded the Austrian manager, urging him to stay.
"Maybe because I'm leaving some people have come up to me and are saying this is something really special," Glasner reflected.
"Some people are saying, 'thank you for these exciting two years we've had together'.
What these players have done for Crystal Palace is incredible, winning the FA Cup, the Community Shield and now this. A few years ago it would've been so far away.
Now it is close to grab it and you can write history again and give the fans moments that will stay with them forever."
'They Want Something Sweeter'
Crystal Palace beat Manchester City 1-0 to win the FA Cup for the first time in May 2025.
Palace’s European success has been part of a rollercoaster 12 months. After their FA Cup victory, Eze transferred to Arsenal, and captain Marc Guehi nearly moved to Liverpool, but the deal collapsed on deadline day as Palace could not secure a replacement.
The demands of European competition — with Thursday’s match marking their 55th game of the 2025-26 season — took a toll on Palace’s small squad. From December, they endured a 12-match winless streak.
In January, Palace’s FA Cup defense ended with a surprising 2-1 third-round defeat to sixth-tier Macclesfield. Later that month, Glasner announced his planned departure, followed by the transfer of England centre-back Guehi to Manchester City.
Glasner expressed frustration, feeling his squad was "being abandoned completely" by the club hierarchy, leading many to expect his immediate exit.
Additionally, key striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was set to join AC Milan in January but failed a medical, preventing the move.
Despite the upheaval, Glasner remained at the helm and could guide Palace to another trophy and memorable moments.
"We want to end the season in the perfect way - and we can do it," he said.
"I said to the players, 'don't do anything for me, do it for yourselves, for the club, for the fans'. Winning the Conference League means European football again next season for Crystal Palace.
They have had a taste, with the FA Cup and Community Shield, and they want honey again. They will not be happy with just avocado. They want something sweeter."
