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By Neil Johnston | BBC Sport
Published: 19 December 2025, 00:02 GMT
Crystal Palace’s European adventure has taken another demanding twist, with fixture congestion threatening to stretch Oliver Glasner’s squad to its limits.
As if two matches in 48 hours were not enough, the Eagles must now navigate an additional two-legged play-off to keep their UEFA Conference League hopes alive.
Palace Miss Automatic Qualification
Thursday night’s frustrating 2–2 draw against Finnish champions KuPS at Selhurst Park proved costly, leaving Palace outside the automatic last-16 places in Europe’s third-tier competition.
Finishing 10th in the league phase, the south London side must contest play-off ties on 19 and 26 February for a place in the knockout stage. It is a testing scenario for a club making its debut in major European competition.
Glasner fielded a noticeably under-strength side, packed with fringe and academy players, due to the relentless schedule.
Focus Shifts Quickly to Domestic Duties
No sooner had the final whistle sounded than attention turned to Saturday’s Premier League clash away at Leeds United.
That match comes less than 48 hours after the European encounter and is followed by a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Arsenal next Tuesday. Palace, already demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League due to ownership rules, now face two additional European fixtures early in the new year.
Having already played in a Conference League play-off in August, Palace could finish the campaign having played up to 68 matches in all competitions, including the Community Shield.
“With the demotion, we got the play-offs in August and with this result we get the play-offs in February,” Glasner said.
“The result is not what we wanted. It’s a game we could easily have won.”
Glasner also hinted at the difficulty of rotation:
“The only thing I don’t like is that Leeds now know our starting line-up because there are only 11 players who didn’t start – and nobody will start both games.”
Youth Offers Hope Amid Heavy Schedule
Despite missing out on automatic qualification, the mood around Selhurst Park remains cautiously positive.
Palace begin their FA Cup defence away to non-league Macclesfield on 10 January, a fixture that could allow Glasner to manage workloads carefully.
Former England defender Joleon Lescott believes the manager has the tools to cope.
“They’ve got Macclesfield away in the FA Cup, the play-offs in this competition – maybe they can play in those games and give some of the experienced players a rest,” Lescott told TNT Sports.
Against KuPS, Palace handed senior debuts to Joel Drakes-Thomas (16), Dean Benamar (17) and George King (18). The academy trio impressed and looked comfortable at this level.
Contract Uncertainty Clouds the Future
However, uncertainty continues to linger.
Glasner is approaching the final six months of his contract, and Palace’s hierarchy are increasingly concerned about losing a manager whose reputation has soared.
Contract talks have been ongoing since March, but there is little indication the 51-year-old Austrian — who led Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory in 2021-22 — is close to committing his future.
“I don’t think one second about my future,” Glasner said before Thursday’s match. “It’s not important right now.”
There are also question marks over the futures of Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton, both of whom are attracting interest from rival clubs.
Who Could Palace Face in the Play-Offs?
Palace will discover their knockout play-off opponents on 16 January.
As a seeded team, they will face one of the sides finishing 23rd or 24th, likely Sigma Olomouc of the Czech Republic or Zrinjski Mostar of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The Eagles will play the second leg at home, a potential advantage.
Can Palace Go All the Way?
It may be too early for Palace fans to book flights to the Conference League final in Leipzig — particularly after missing automatic qualification.
The final takes place on 27 May, just 15 days before the start of the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America.
To lift the trophy, Palace must navigate nine more matches and aim to become the third English club to win the competition, following West Ham (2022-23) and Chelsea (2024-25).
The competition’s short history has already seen success for Roma, Olympiakos, and deep runs by Leicester City and Aston Villa.
Reflecting on Palace’s recent FA Cup triumph, the club’s first major trophy, Glasner captured the emotional significance:
“We have Crystal Palace supporters for 60 years who never saw us win anything.
Ultimately, it’s not about the money – it’s about these emotions.”
