Chaotic Palace season could end in glory as Conference League last-16 draw looms
Crystal Palace sealed progression to the last 16 of the conference league after a 2-0 home win over Bosnian side Zrinjski, but the victory sits alongside a season of upheaval: key departures, managerial controversy and visible fan unrest. The Eagles will discover their next opponents in the Conference League draw on Friday at 13: 00 GMT.
Conference League progression: how Palace got through
Maxence Lacroix and Evann Guessand scored at Selhurst Park as Palace beat Zrinjski 2-0 on the night to seal a 3-1 aggregate victory and reach the Conference League last 16. Dean Henderson joked, "I don't know what all the fuss was about, " shortly after the win, reflecting an emotional rollercoaster for supporters.
Season context: trophies, transfers and turmoil
The last 12 months have been unusually eventful for Palace. In May the club won its first major trophy by beating Manchester City to lift the FA Cup, then added the Community Shield three months later with a penalty shootout win over Liverpool. Despite silverware, several key players have left or nearly left: winger Eberechi Eze moved to Arsenal; skipper Marc Guehi nearly joined Liverpool before moving to Manchester City five months later; and top scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta was on the verge of signing for AC Milan but failed a medical.
Managerial storm: Glasner, the board and the fans
Oliver Glasner, described in the club context as the most successful manager in Palace history, announced in January that he would leave at the end of the season and told the club's board they had "abandoned" the squad. That announcement appeared to mark the end of his tenure, but he has remained in charge. Fans displayed a banner on Sunday before a 1-0 win over Wolves declaring he was "finished. " When asked if he had assurance of his job from the club's bosses, Glasner said "100%" and acknowledged there is "so much noise" around the club. He accepted he may have given interviews that were not helpful and said he always speaks what he feels because that is how he is.
Glasner on performance, togetherness and objectives
Glasner stressed that the players' ongoing performances are proof of his standing with the squad. He said if the players believe in him and the staff that is the most important factor, otherwise the staff can leave because the players must perform on the pitch. He described a strong togetherness across players, staff, the sporting director and the chairman, suggesting the campaign could be viewed as the second-best Premier League season ever for Palace, with last year being the best and the club experiencing two of its best years while playing European football for the first time.
Supporters' actions, match atmosphere and club responses
Supporters created visible unrest at times: a banner criticising Glasner and the board was shown before the Wolves match, and a supporters' group requested the club turn off pre-match music so they could back the team during warm-up; the club rejected that request on the grounds that Uefa's regulations would not allow it. A large group of travelling supporters who took up position two hours before kick-off helped produce a decent atmosphere despite many empty seats in home sections. During the first half of the Zrinjski tie, the Holmesdale Fanatics displayed a message reading "40 quid? Palace fans fleeced = empty seats. "
Wider European picture and the last-16 draw
Palace's European campaign continues with a last-16 tie against either Cypriot side Larnaca, who Palace lost to during the group stages, or Mainz from Germany. The last-16 draw is scheduled for Friday at 13: 00 GMT.
Other European results from the same round included Celta Vigo beating PAOK 3-1 on aggregate with Williot Swedberg scoring the only goal to set up a last-16 tie against either Aston Villa or Lyon. Lille overturned a first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at Red Star Belgrade thanks to Olivier Giroud and an extra-time goal from Nathan Ngoy, putting them among potential opponents for Villa or Lyon in the draw. Robbie Keane's Ferencvaros overturned a one-goal first-leg deficit to win 2-0 at home and knock out Ludogorets Razgrad; first-half goals from Gabi Kanichowsky and Kristoffer Zachariassen put the Hungarian side into the next round, where they will face Porto or Braga, one of which Stuttgart will also face despite losing 1-0 at home to Celtic. Luke McCowan's goal after 28 seconds was the Europa League's fastest in 10 years, though the hosts eventually prevailed 4-2 on aggregate.
Panathinaikos, reduced to 10 men for the second half of extra time after Javi Hernández was sent off, beat Viktoria Plzen 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 second-leg draw that made it 3-3 on aggregate; Andreas Tetteh put the visitors ahead early but Karel Spacil equalised for Plzen, and Milos Pantovic scored the decisive spot-kick, with Midtjylland or Real Betis awaiting in the last 16. Nottingham Forest, who beat Fenerbahce on aggregate, are also potential opponents for Midtjylland or Betis. Bologna beat 10-man Brann 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate to set up a last-16 tie.
Coverage note
Live blog coverage for one account of the match was unavailable at the time of publication with the notice: "Sorry, this blog is currently unavailable. Please try again later. "
Palace remain 13th in the Premier League, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and only three points away from eighth, which could be high enough to secure a return to European football next season. For now, the focus shifts to the Conference League last-16 draw on Friday and whether this turbulent season can still deliver continental silverware.
