Football Season Guide

A strange 2025/26 season saw Palace lose key players Eberechi Eze (in the summer) and Marc Guéhi (in January), with coach Oliver Glasner drawing criticism from fans after announcing midway through the campaign his decision to depart this summer. They went on to finish 15th, but all of that was immediately forgotten after winning the Conference League trophy. Palace haven’t been particularly active in the transfer window, signing free agents Óscar Mingueza and Takehiro Tomiyasu to beef up a defence that also lost Maxence Lacroix after Guéhi’s mid-season departure. Wingback Anan Khalaili also joined, meaning that, Daniel Munoz, one of their top performers last season could depart. Pierre Sage succeeded Glasner after making history at Lens by finishing as Ligue 1 runners-up and winning the Coupe de France. Yet, with as many as 12 players involved in the World Cup, he has overseen a disrupted pre-season preparation, which could affect the team’s performance in the opening stages of the season. Their greatest strength lies in attack, where Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jørgen Strand Larsen are complemented by Ismaïla Sarr, who enjoyed an outstanding campaign last season. Yet, the club need to beef up their squad, as there is a lack of depth in most positions ahead of a season in which they’ll be called to juggle between competitions.