How Crystal Palace’s Europa League qualification will affect Chelsea and Tottenham
Crystal Palace lifted the Europa Conference League trophy on Wednesday with a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.
The Eagles earned a first-ever European title in Germany, in what was manager Oliver Glasner’s final game at the helm after the Austrian had confirmed he would be leaving the club earlier in the season.
Jean-Philippe Mateta netted the only goal of the game as Palace replicated West Ham’s 2023 feat by clinching the trophy which they had been favourites to win from the outset.
The south Londoners’ triumph will have consequences for Chelsea and Tottenham, neither of whom qualified for European competition this term.
The Blues ended the campaign in 10th, just a point off Brighton and Hove Albion, who secured the only Conference League place for next season.
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Parting gift: Oliver Glasner
PA
Spurs, meanwhile, just about kept themselves afloat, with their relegation run-in going down to the very final day.
A 1-0 win over Everton was enough to retain their top-flight status and earn a 17th-placed finish, at the expense of West Ham, who were relegated.
There will be nine English representatives on the continent next season, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool all in the Champions League.
Bournemouth and Sunderland join Palace in the Europa League having finished sixth and seventh respectively, while the Eagles will participate in Europe’s second-tier competition thanks to their Conference League victory.
Brighton will be the sole English club in the Conference League.
How does Crystal Palace’s Conference League win affect Chelsea and Tottenham?
With four teams playing in Europe on a Thursday , it means that the Premier League fixture schedule will look a bit different for some of the other sides not playing continental football next term.
That includes Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea and Roberto De Zerbi’s Spurs.
Should a club play in Europe on a Thursday, they instantly cannot play their next league game on a Saturday, meaning they must be moved to a Sunday kick off slot, since they also cannot play on Fridays or Mondays.
It is also the case with Champions League competititors playing on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and they are not allowed to feature on Friday or Mondays either.
That will particularly impact Chelsea and Spurs, who are often selected for TV kick offs that depart from the traditional 3pm on a Saturday.
New boss: Xabi Alonso will take charge of Chelsea in the summer, with the club not in Europe
PA
Hence, if they are not facing a club with European competition, they are likely to face more matches on Friday and Monday nights from next season.
That could also be the case for Newcastle United, who, despite playing in the Champions League this year, will not return to the European stage after a poor league campaign.
In theory, Sky Sports, the leading Premier League broadcaster in the UK, is supposed to pick each team a maximum of five times on a Friday or Monday across a 32-game span.
However, this season, that was breached four times, with four clubs – not playing in Europe – all affected.
They were Everton, who had seven matches moved to a Monday evening, Man United on eight, West Ham with seven and Leeds on six, which prompted angry reactions from their respective fan groups.
