Glasner: Wembley Glory More Valuable Than Europa League Spot
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner says he would not trade the club’s Community Shield triumph for a guaranteed place in next season’s Europa League.
The FA Cup winners lifted their second trophy in just three months — and their first ever Community Shield — after defeating Premier League champions Liverpool in a penalty shootout, following a 2-2 draw at Wembley.
Palace will learn on Monday whether they will be permitted to take part in the Europa League for the 2025-26 season. They were recently moved down to the UEFA Conference League as a penalty for breaching multi-club ownership rules. American investor John Textor holds shares in Palace while also being the majority owner of French side Lyon, who themselves qualified for the Europa League.
The club has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against UEFA’s ruling, with Lyon and Nottingham Forest also listed in the case. A verdict is expected on Monday.
When asked if he would swap the Shield win for a favourable appeal result, Glasner said:
“No. The players ignored all the noise around us. Tomorrow is out of our control, so tonight we celebrate, and tomorrow we get back to training. We can’t dwell on it.”
Henderson: Europa League Ban Would ‘Devalue’ Tournament
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who starred in the penalty shootout, argued that dropping Palace into the Conference League would undermine the competition.
“We’ve earned our spot by winning on the pitch,” Henderson told BBC Radio 5 Live. “Taking that away would devalue the Europa League. Every neutral fan would agree we deserve to be there. The chairman has fought hard, and we’re all hoping common sense prevails.”
Henderson also highlighted how special this moment is for Palace supporters.
“They’ve waited over a century for a major trophy and the chance to follow the team in Europe. To lose that opportunity just wouldn’t be right.”