No Eze but Palace welcome new era on a bittersweet night

There were perhaps mixed emotions for Crystal Palace fans who were at Selhurst Park on Thursday night.

On the one hand there will have been excitement at seeing their side play European football for the first time in almost three decades, as well as making history with their first-ever win in Europe as they beat Fredrikstad 1-0 in the first leg of their Uefa Conference League play-off.

But on the other hand it seemed many were resigned to the departure of the talismanic Eberechi Eze, with the midfielder absent from the squad as a move to Arsenal appears imminent.

Supporters arrived wearing shirts with “Eze 10” on the back, while many had hand drawn signs saying thank you to a player who had brought them countless magical moments on the pitch since his arrival from QPR five years ago.

After the win, manager Oliver Glasner confirmed Eze was on the verge of leaving the club.

“Ebs will not play for us anymore so it does not make sense to talk about him,” he told Channel 5.

“It’s gone. It looks like wishing him all the best for the new club and for us it is about bringing more players in but they will not be allowed to play in the second leg.”

Football quickly moves on and, after fans showed their support for Eze before kick-off on Thursday attention soon turned to Palace’s moment of history, as the players came out onto the pitch to the sound of fireworks and a celebratory atmosphere.

Palace last played in Europe 27 years ago, but that was the Intertoto Cup, a competition that was dubbed ‘The Cup for the Cupless’ and largely perceived as worthless by British sides.

It was also not a memorable experience for Palace as they were beaten 4-0 over two legs by Turkish side Samsunspor.

But their latest venture holds the promise of feeling different.

History was made when Jean-Philippe Mateta headed in Palace’s first-ever European goal to give them the lead early in the second half.

The Conference League may not be the Europa League – the competition Palace were originally set to play in – but it still provides the prospect of an exciting European adventure for the club’s fans, and the potential for more significant silverware.

They will take heart from how fellow sides from London have previously fared in the competition, with West Ham and Chelsea two of the four Conference League winners so far.

Plus, in Glasner they have a manager who knows all about success in Europe, having won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022.

“It is important taking the win, first win in Europe,” said the Palace boss.

“We are on track.”

This is the latest chapter in what has been a memorable and eventful year for Crystal Palace fans.

Before kick-off on Thursday, the club proudly showed off the two trophies they have won in 2025 – the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

That first triumph was the significant one, having ended the Eagles’ long wait for a first major trophy when they beat Manchester City in May.

They returned to Wembley three months later to win the Community Shield, overcoming reigning Premier League champions Liverpool to do so.

But in the three months between those visits to England’s national stadium there was still plenty of drama off the pitch.

The FA Cup victory had provided Crystal Palace with qualification to the Europa League but excitement for that was relatively short lived as they were demoted to the Conference League after being punished by Uefa for breaching multi-club ownership rules.

Palace appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but the demotion was upheld.

Anger at that decision has been clear since, with fans having held up anti-Uefa banners at Wembley during the Community Shield, and some arrived with similarly anti-Uefa messages on shirts and banners on Thursday.

There had been fears after Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win that they would struggle to keep their talented squad together.

Eze’s departure has felt inevitable for some time but, so far, they have done well to retain the majority of the squad that brought them trophy success last season.

After Palace’s win on Thursday, chairman Steve Parish said the club had to now focus on life after Eze, and said that signings would be made.

“We have to move past it,” he told Channel 5. “Eze has been fantastic for us and we are pleased he will go on to fulfill his ambitions.

“We have to find other players to support the team and Oliver Glasner. We will bring in players, it is about finding the right players.”

Eze is unlikely to be their only star player to leave, with defender Marc Guehi in the last year of his deal and linked with a move to Liverpool.

Parish added: “If Marc wants to sign a contract then he can stay!

“It is a difficult situation. If you are in Europe the financial rules are a lot tighter than in the Premier League.

“Players leaving on a free is not ideal. We will have to look at it over the next 11 days.”

Arrivals will be key for Palace’s aspirations this season – both home and abroad – and Glasner has expressed his frustration at the lack of signings so far, and also feels his side are at risk of not getting the right replacement for Eze.

He said: “We knew that this chance [Eze would leave] is very high that this would happen, and honestly, I say it like it is, we missed the chance to replace him early enough.

“That’s completely our fault, and nobody else’s fault.”

The Eagles have been linked with Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet, while Leicester City playmaker Bilal el Khannouss is a transfer target and Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis has also been touted.

With the second leg of their Conference League qualifier to come on 28 August followed by the transfer window closing four days later, it promises to be an interesting – and potentially exciting – few days ahead for the Eagles.