Crystal Palace Celebrates Community Shield Victory Amid Europa League Uncertainty
Oliver Glasner has stated that he would not trade Crystal Palace's recent Community Shield victory for a place in next season's Europa League.
The FA Cup holders secured their second trophy in three months and their first Community Shield by defeating Premier League champions Liverpool in a penalty shootout after the match ended 2-2 at Wembley.
Crystal Palace will learn on Monday whether they will be allowed to participate in Europe's second-tier cup competition in the 2025-26 season.
The Eagles were relegated to the UEFA Conference League as a penalty for violating multi-club ownership rules, as American businessman John Textor holds a stake in the club and is also the majority owner of Lyon, which has qualified for the Europa League.
An appeal against this demotion has been filed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The appeal is directed against UEFA, which imposed the sanction, as well as French club Lyon and Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest, with a decision expected on Monday.
When asked if he would exchange the Wembley triumph for a successful appeal, Glasner responded, "No. The players were not intimidated by the surrounding noise. Tomorrow we have no influence, so we celebrate tonight, meet for lunch tomorrow, and then train. We can't dwell on it."
‘It would devalue the competition’
Penalty shootout hero Dean Henderson expressed that Palace's possible demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League would "devalue the competition."
"I think today shows that we don't let it affect us too much in the end," Henderson told BBC Radio 5 Live at Wembley. "We won the FA Cup, and we are justified in being in the Europa League. For footballing reasons, we deserve to be there. It would unfortunately devalue the competition if we weren't in the Europa League. Things won on the pitch should be rewarded, and I believe every neutral football fan would agree with that. Let's see. I know the chairman [Steve Parish] has fought hard against it, and I hope we will be in the Europa League as we deserve to be."
"Crystal Palace fans have waited 120 years, perhaps even longer, for their first trophy and the chance to embark on a European tour. To have that opportunity taken away from us is simply unjust for football, and I think everyone would agree. I am sure they will see reason and reinstate us in the Europa League."