Fans, players and a divided board still stand to gain as Crystal Palace chase Conference League progress after a tumultuous season

Qualification for the conference league last 16 hands a tangible lift to people inside and around Crystal Palace: supporters, the dressing room and decision-makers who have endured a wildly unpredictable 12 months. That shift matters because a single cup run can reshape how this season is judged, buying breathing space after departures, public rows and protests; the draw for the last 16 is set for Friday at 13: 00 GMT.

Immediate impact on morale and scrutiny as Conference League progress offers a reset

The victory that sent Palace through gives the squad and supporters a clear, short-term aim that alters expectations. Captain Dean Henderson played down the fuss after the win, suggesting the reaction around the club has sometimes been overblown. What's easy to miss is the sharp contrast between on-field resilience and off-field unrest: players keep delivering results even as debate about leadership and transfers has been loud and sustained.

How the Zrinjski tie and the manager’s rollercoaster reframed the campaign

Crystal Palace beat Bosnian side Zrinjski 2-0 at Selhurst Park, with Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand on the scoresheet, sealing a 3-1 aggregate win and passage to the last 16. That home success followed a 1-1 draw on the trip to Bosnia the previous week, which had left margins thin and tensions high.

Manager Oliver Glasner’s position has been a running subplot. He announced in January he would leave at the end of the season and publicly told the club board they had abandoned the squad; that sequence suggested his exit was imminent, yet he remains in charge. Fans staged demonstrations, including a banner before a match with Wolves saying he was finished, and questions about job security followed. Glasner has said club leaders have given him firm reassurance about his role, and he has pointed to the players’ continued performances as the core proof that the group is united and capable of making a strong finish in both the league and Europe.

• May: Palace secured their first major trophy with an FA Cup win over Manchester City.
• Three months later: they added the Community Shield a penalty shootout victory over Liverpool.
• January: Glasner announced he would leave at season’s end and criticised the board before later remaining in post.

These moments compress a season of highs and off-field turmoil into a short span, and the Conference League run now changes how those highs are weighed against the unrest.

Here’s the part that matters for supporters and decision-makers:

• Qualification relieves immediate pressure and gives the playing group a positive, concrete target.
• Managerial friction remains unresolved; continued on-field results will shape whether that tension eases or escalates.
• Cup progress keeps European football on the table as a measure for next season.
• Ticketing and atmosphere issues have left visible fractures between sections of the fanbase and the club.

Transfers, injuries and squad turnover that fed the season’s narrative

The club’s playing list has been turned over: winger Eberechi Eze left for Arsenal; skipper Marc Guehi was close to a move to Liverpool before joining Manchester City five months later; top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta was on the verge of signing for AC Milan but a medical stopped that transfer. Those exits — combined with the managerial headlines — are central to why supporters describe the past year as an emotional rollercoaster.

In the Premier League, Palace sit 13th, ten points clear of the relegation zone and three points shy of eighth, a position that could be sufficient to secure European football next season. That league standing, paired with this Conference League progression, shapes realistic benchmarks for the rest of the campaign.

Supporter action, matchday atmosphere and club decisions

Supporter unrest has been visible. After the first leg, some travelling fans called for the manager to be sacked; the home crowd included a banner accusing the coach of being finished before a separate league match. The club declined a request from the supporters’ group responsible for that banner to turn off pre-match music so fans could stage a specific pre-match backing of the team, citing UEFA regulations as the reason for refusal. A sizeable group of travelling supporters who gathered two hours before kick-off helped create a livelier pocket of atmosphere despite many empty seats in home sections. During the first half, a Holmesdale Fanatics message criticised high ticket costs and linked that to the empty seats that followed.

European context, other ties and the draw timetable

Palace were demoted from the Europa League into the Conference League after winning the FA Cup last season, making this their first European campaign at this tier. Their path in the tournament now points to a last-16 opponent that will be decided in Friday’s draw at 13: 00 GMT; potential opponents named for Palace’s tie are either the Cypriot side Larnaca, who beat Palace in the group stage, or Mainz from Germany.

Beyond Palace, a series of knockout results shaped the last-16 line-up: Celta Vigo progressed 3-1 on aggregate with a Williot Swedberg goal and await either Aston Villa or Lyon; Lille overturned a first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade with goals from Olivier Giroud and Nathan Ngoy in extra time; Ferencvaros recovered to win 2-0 and eliminate Ludogorets; a Hungarian side advanced with goals from Gabi Kanichowsky and Kristoffer Zachariassen and will face Porto or Braga; Luke McCowan scored an ultra-fast goal after 28 seconds in the Europa League but his side lost 4-2 on aggregate; Panathinaikos beat Viktoria Plzen on penalties after a 1-1 second leg that left the aggregate tied, with Panathinaikos reduced to ten men for the second half of extra time following a sending off; a shootout winner Milos Pantovic set up a meeting against either Midtjylland or Real Betis, with Nottingham Forest noted as another possible opponent for that path after they eliminated Fenerbahce on aggregate; Bologna beat 10-man Brann 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate to reach the last 16.

One editorial aside: the bigger signal here is how on-field results keep producing levers for calm, even when almost every off-field story feeds uncertainty — that reality will determine whether this season is remembered for trophies or turmoil.

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