Crystal Palace's remarkable European journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride over the past 12 months. After the euphoria of their FA Cup final triumph, the Eagles faced a summer of upheaval that tested the club's resilience to its core.
Star midfielder Eberechi Eze departed for Arsenal, while captain Marc Guehi came tantalizingly close to joining Liverpool—only for the deal to collapse on deadline day when Palace couldn't secure a replacement. The drama didn't end there. Later that month, manager Oliver Glasner announced his planned departure, followed by news that England centre-back Guehi would eventually transfer to Manchester City.
The added demands of European competition—Thursday's match marked Palace's 55th game of the 2025-26 season—took their toll on the squad's limited depth. From December onward, the team endured a painful 12-match winless run that tested everyone's patience.
January brought further heartbreak when Palace's FA Cup defense ended with a shocking 2-1 third-round defeat at sixth-tier Macclesfield. Glasner's frustration boiled over as he claimed the squad was "being abandoned completely" by the club's hierarchy, leading many to expect his immediate exit. Adding insult to injury, key striker Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly joined AC Milan in January—only for a failed medical to keep him at Selhurst Park.
Yet amidst all the chaos, Glasner remained at the helm, and now the Eagles find themselves on the cusp of more glory. "We want to end the season in the perfect way—and we can do it," Glasner declared. "I told 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."
With a poetic flourish, he added: "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." For a club that has weathered so much turbulence, that sweet taste of success has never felt more deserved.