Crystal Palace FC's first-ever major European adventure is underway, as we battle to win the UEFA Conference League. Find out how you can join us on our journey.

European Tour

## Born in the USA

> After a remarkable two-year journey from Alabama to Bayern Munich, Chris Richards fulfilled a lifelong dream when he moved to the Premier League with Crystal Palace in 2022.

Born in Alabama, USA, Richards began his career near Houston before joining F.C. Dallas’ Academy and earning a professional contract there.

He moved to Houston and then Dallas aged 16 – both over 600 miles from his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, where his parents still live – and initially lived alone with a host family. He then made the even larger jump of joining Bayern Munich aged 18, where he learnt fluent German and made his senior debut shortly after signing.

From here Richards’ rise was swift: he made his senior debut in a friendly against Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, his professional debut with Bayern Munich II in 2019, and his full Bayern debut in June 2020. A few months later he featured as a substitute in the German side’s DFL-Supercup win over Borussia Dortmund.

The young defender went on to represent Bayern in the Bundesliga and Champions League before joining 1899 Hoffenheim on loan in 2021. He has played a total of 82 professional matches.

Richards began his international career early, too, competing with the US Under-20s to win the CONCACAF U20 Championship aged 18. His performances at this level earned him a senior debut in November 2020, coming on as a substitute against Panama. Richards has since amassed seven further caps.

He made his debut for the Eagles at Anfield as a second-half substitute in August 2022. Richards went on to make his first start for the club, after a leg injury, in January 2023 in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Selhurst Park.

Commenting on his first start he said: “It was worth the wait! Being able to make it \[my first Premier League start\] at home, especially in a game like tonight, was amazing."

His performances against Manchester United home and away, along with keeping a clean sheet against Newcastle United, saw him win the club's Player of the Month award in January 2023.

Richards' first domestic season in red and blue ended with 10 appearances in total, however he also managed to score his first international goal in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League against Canada to guide the United States to a 2-0 win.

The 2023/24 campaign saw Richards establish more of a place in the side, playing multiple roles as a centre-back, defensive midfielder and even as a right-back. He racked up 30 appearances in total, and scored his first goal against Burnley in a 3-0 win at Selhurst Park in February 2024.

Richards also found CONCACAF Nations League success once more, winning the title again in a 2-0 win over Mexico in March 2024. He was also recognised for his exceptional work with the Palace for Life Foundation - winning the PFA Community Champion award.

In 2024/25, Richards made 32 appearances across all competitions - six of which were in the FA Cup, where he played every single minute on the way to making history in the final against Manchester City.

2020

IFFHS Men's World Youth Team

January 2023

Crystal Palace Player of the Month

2023/24

PFA Community Champion

Richards

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The best of our Defenders | Brighton (H)

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Richards praises team spirit

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Games

But in contrast to the relative novelty of continental football, Palace are in fact somewhat veterans of the two-legged match-up, having participated in half-a-century of them, at our last count.

Statistics are there to be challenged, so we gratefully accept any corrections – but, by our last count, **over the last 51 seasons** and across **five different competitions**, Palace have played **50 two-legged ties**.

And – whisper it quietly, lest we tempt fate ahead of the remainder of our European campaign – Palace's record is an impressive one, with the Eagles progressing on **35 occasions** (a **70%** win rate).

Along the way, Palace have scored a whopping **153** goals across two-legged encounters – 100 matches, so an average of **1.53 goals per game** – and conceded **106.**

Two of our wins have been via the away goals rule – now defunct in European competition, of course – and one of them via penalty kicks: the 5-4 shoot-out victory in the Division One play-off semi-final against Sunderland, back in 2003/04.

On the flip side, we have also suffered one away goals loss, and two defeats on penalties, apiece.

#### Competitions

For the purposes of definition, the competitions we counted are any **domestic league play-offs**; the **League Cup**; the **Zenith Data Systems Cup**; the **UEFA InterToto Cup**; and the **UEFA Conference League**. We have excluded one tie apiece in the (arguably less competitive) Texaco Cup and Anglo-Italian Cup.

Of those competitions, the quantity of ties skews heavily in the League Cup’s favour.

The first round of the competition comprised two legs from 1975/76 to the 00/01 season – when the Eagles, admittedly, were often paired with teams of varying abilities – and the second round was played over two legs from 79/80 up until 00/01.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, **36** of our **50 two-legged ties** in question were in the League Cup, with 25 wins – including a record 10-1 win on aggregate against Southend United in 1990 – yielding a **win rate of 69%**.

#### Permutations

Of the 50 ties across all competitions, we have **won 20 of our first-leg** **matches** (14 of those at Selhurst Park – positive omens, one hopes, for Thursday).

From those 20 first-leg wins, **on an impressive 17 occasions** did we go on to advance after the second match.

Should the worst occur in the remainder of the season? Palace have **trailed after the first leg** on 16 occasions, seven of those first-leg losses coming at Selhurst.

However, the Eagles have historically shown resolve over two legs, **overcoming a first-leg deficit to advance seven times** (albeit just once following a first-leg defeat at home).

It’s all set up, then, for another fascinating evening beneath the lights at Selhurst Park on Thursday – and, fingers crossed, another absorbing encounter over two legs.

**You can see our full record – broken down by competition – below!**

***Have we missed a result or made any errors? Let us know at [editorial@cpfc.co.uk](mailto:editorial@cpfc.co.uk)***

#### League Play-Offs

| Season | Round    | Opponent     | 1st Leg   | 2nd Leg        | Aggregate          |
| ------ | -------- | ------------ | --------- | -------------- | ------------------ |
| 88/89  | D2 SF    | Swindon      | 0-1 L (A) | 2-0 W (H)      | 2-1 W              |
|        | D2 Final | Blackburn    | 1-3 L (A) | 3-0 W (H, aet) | 4-3 W              |
| 95/96  | D1 SF    | Charlton     | 2-1 W (A) | 1-0 W (H)      | 3-1 W              |
| 96/97  | D1 SF    | Wolves       | 3-1 W (H) | 1-2 L (A)      | 4-3 W              |
| 03/04  | D1 SF    | Sunderland   | 3-2 W (H) | 1-2 L (A)      | 4-4 D (W 5-4 pens) |
| 05/06  | CH SF    | Watford      | 0-3 L (H) | 0-0 D (A)      | 0-3 L              |
| 07/08  | CH SF    | Bristol City | 1-2 L (H) | 1-2 L (A, aet) | 2-4 L              |
| 12/13  | CH SF    | Brighton     | 0-0 D (H) | 2-0 W (A)      | 2-0 W              |

#### League Cup

| Season | Round | Opponent     | 1st Leg   | 2nd Leg        | Aggregate             |
| ------ | ----- | ------------ | --------- | -------------- | --------------------- |
| 75/76  | 1     | Colchester   | 3-0 W (H) | 1-3 L (A)      | 4-3 W                 |
| 76/77  | 1     | Portsmouth   | 2-2 D (H) | 1-0 W (A)      | 3-2 W                 |
| 77/78  | 1     | Brentford    | 1-2 L (A) | 5-1 W (H)      | 6-3 W                 |
|        | 2     | Southampton  | 0-0 D (H) | 1-2 L (A)      | 1-2 L                 |
| 79/80  | 2     | Stockport    | 1-1 D (A) | 7-0 W (H)      | 8-1 W                 |
| 80/81  | 2     | Bolton       | 3-0 W (A) | 2-1 W (H)      | 5-1 W                 |
| 81/82  | 2     | Doncaster    | 0-1 L (A) | 2-0 W (H)      | 2-1 W                 |
| 82/83  | 1     | Portsmouth   | 2-0 W (H) | 1-1 D (A)      | 3-1 W                 |
|        | 2     | Peterborough | 2-0 W (A) | 2-1 W (H)      | 4-1 W                 |
| 83/84  | 1     | Peterborough | 3-0 W (H) | 0-3 L (A)      | 3-3 D (L 2-4 pens)    |
| 84/85  | 1     | Northampton  | 1-0 W (H) | 0-0 D (A)      | 1-0 W                 |
|        | 2     | Sunderland   | 1-2 L (A) | 0-0 D (H)      | 1-2 L                 |
| 85/86  | 1     | Charlton     | 2-1 W (A) | 1-1 D (H)      | 3-2 W                 |
|        | 2     | Man Utd      | 0-1 L (H) | 0-1 L (A)      | 0-2 L                 |
| 86/87  | 2     | Bury         | 0-0 D (H) | 1-0 W (A)      | 1-0 W                 |
| 87/88  | 2     | Newport      | 4-0 W (H) | 2-0 W (A)      | 6-0 W                 |
| 88/89  | 2     | Swindon      | 2-1 W (A) | 2-0 W (H)      | 4-1 W                 |
| 89/90  | 2     | Leicester    | 1-2 L (H) | 3-2 W (A)      | 4-4 D (W, away goals) |
| 90/91  | 2     | Southend     | 8-0 W (H) | 2-1 W (A)      | 10-1 W                |
| 91/92  | 2     | Hartlepool   | 1-1 D (A) | 6-1 W (H)      | 7-2 W                 |
| 92/93  | 2     | Lincoln City | 3-1 W (H) | 1-1 D (A)      | 4-2 W                 |
|        | SF    | Arsenal      | 1-3 L (H) | 0-2 L (A)      | 1-5 L                 |
| 93/94  | 2     | Charlton     | 3-1 W (H) | 1-0 W (A)      | 4-1 W                 |
| 94/95  | 2     | Lincoln City | 0-1 L (A) | 3-0 W (H)      | 3-1 W                 |
|        | SF    | Liverpool    | 0-1 L (A) | 0-1 L (H)      | 0-2 L                 |
| 95/96  | 2     | Southend     | 2-2 D (A) | 2-0 W (H)      | 4-2 W                 |
| 96/97  | 2     | Bury         | 3-1 W (A) | 4-0 W (H)      | 7-1 W                 |
| 97/98  | 2     | Hull City    | 0-1 L (A) | 2-1 W (H)      | 2-2 D (L, away goals) |
| 98/99  | 1     | Torquay      | 1-1 D (A) | 2-1 W (H, aet) | 3-2 W                 |
|        | 2     | Bury         | 0-3 L (A) | 2-1 W (H)      | 1-5 L                 |
| 99/00  | 1     | Colchester   | 2-2 D (A) | 3-1 W (H)      | 5-3 W                 |
|        | 2     | Leicester    | 3-3 D (H) | 2-4 L (A)      | 5-7 L                 |
| 00/01  | 1     | Cardiff      | 2-1 W (H) | 0-0 D (A)      | 2-1 W                 |
|        | 2     | Burnley      | 2-2 D (A) | 1-1 (H)        | 3-3 D (W, away goals) |
|        | SF    | Liverpool    | 2-1 W (H) | 0-5 L (A)      | 2-6 L                 |
| 11/12  | SF    | Cardiff      | 1-0 W (H) | 0-1 L (A)      | 1-1 D (L 1-3 pens)    |

#### Zenith Data Systems Cup

| Season | Round     | Opponent | 1st Leg   | 2nd Leg   | Aggregate |
| ------ | --------- | -------- | --------- | --------- | --------- |
| 89/90  | Sou Final | Chelsea  | 0-2 L (H) | 0-2 L (A) | 0-4 L     |
| 90/91  | Sou Final | Norwich  | 1-1 D (A) | 2-0 W (H) | 3-1 W     |

#### UEFA Intertoto Cup

| Season | Round | Opponent         | 1st Leg   | 2nd Leg   | Aggregate |
| ------ | ----- | ---------------- | --------- | --------- | --------- |
| 98/99  | 3     | Samsunspor (TUR) | 0-2 L (H) | 0-2 L (A) | 0-4 L     |

#### UEFA Conference League

| Season | Round     | Opponent              | 1st Leg   | 2nd Leg        | Aggregate |
| ------ | --------- | --------------------- | --------- | -------------- | --------- |
| 25/26  | Play-offs | Fredrikstad (NOR)     | 1-0 W (H) | 0-0 D (A)      | 1-0 W     |
|        | KO PO     | Zrinjski Mostar (BHA) | 1-1 D (A) | 2-0 W (H)      | 3-1 W     |
|        | RO16      | AEK Larnaca (CYP)     | 0-0 D (H) | 2-1 W (A, aet) | 2-1 W     |

### **Match Details**

**Crystal Palace v Fiorentina**

- **Thursday, 9th April**
- **20:00 BST**
- **UEFA Conference League quarter-final**
- **Selhurst Park**
- **[Live audio commentary on Palace TV+](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)**

Regular European football might be new to Selhurst Park this season – and as the UEFA Conference League reaches its latter stages, we are witnessing two-leg ties aplenty.

What's Crystal Palace’s overall record in two-legged ties?

Crystal Palace

UEFA Conference League

AEK Larnaca

Last Match

Fiorentina

Next Match

Get ready for Europe!

The Argentina international is no stranger to the demands of continental football, having previously played regularly in the Champions League with PSV Eindhoven and Europa League with Nice.

Benítez’s experience has therefore been a valuable addition to the Eagles in their inaugural continental campaign this season, with the 33-year-old having played three times in the tournament, including in the extra-time victory away at AEK Larnaca in the Round of 16.

Speaking after that match, Benítez told reporters: “It's a big game [against Fiorentina], When you qualify you know you want to play big games.

“It’s the first year of competition for Crystal Palace in Europe. Every game for us is like a final, because we want to finish in this competition as high as possible. 

“We know it's really important for the club, and for us also, so we try to give our best in every game.

“We’re trying to enjoy it also because it's important, and I hope we finish as high as possible in this competition.”


Benítez and his teammates celebrated jubilantly with their travelling supporters in Cyprus at the conclusion of their last European tie two-and-a-half weeks ago.

The journeying Eagles have travelled over 9,400 miles to a raft of countries including Norway, Poland and Bosnia this season – and Benítez draws pride from the togetherness that those supporters have demonstrated on the continent this season.

“This is our goal, because we want to always stay together,” Benítez observed. “We are one team, so every player and every staff member helps us. Today we have a lot of support [from the stands], and this is fantastic for us.

“Thank you to them for coming here and enjoying with us. Now, we try to always stay together and work hard, because this is what we want.

“I feel this connection. I know I need to go game after game and give my best, because this is my goal. I always enjoy when I go and play on the pitch, because I feel the support is behind me and helps me.

“I try to give my best and I see this connection. I am really happy and I hope we continue like this for a long time.”

### **Match Details**

**Crystal Palace v Fiorentina**

- Thursday, 9th April
- 20:00 BST
- UEFA Conference League quarter-final
- Selhurst Park
- [Live audio commentary on Palace TV+](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

Walter Benítez says Crystal Palace’s players recognise the opportunity that the UEFA Conference League represents for the club this season, as the Eagles return to action against Fiorentina in the quarter-finals on Thursday night (9th April, 20:00 BST).

Benitez: Every European game now is like a Final

Weerden on win at home 

It was Weerden's pass that set up Kirsty Howat for the only goal of the game, as Palace moved ever closer to sealing third-place and a promotion playoff spot.

Reflecting on the team's performance, she said: "I think we deserved a bit more. I think we played most of the game in their half and we only scored one.

"By the end of the game we make it hard for ourselves because it's only 1-0 and then they try everything together to get that one goal back. 

"It's a bit transitional towards the end and I think we could have played better but at least we have three points."

They just let me do what I'm good at and that's creating chances

Her assist also saw her equal the record for the most assists in a single Women’s second-tier season - a milestone set by Kosovare Asllani, who recorded nine in 2024/25. 

Reflecting on this milestone, Weerden said: "It's cool. I just want to help the team. I want to create the chances. I want to create goals, create actions and yeah, that's great.

"Those are really nice stats. I only heard about it today, I didn't know. 

"It's not something I work towards, I just want to be important for the team. I just want to make sure that I provide for the team.

"I do feel really confident here in the team. The players give me a lot of confidence, my coach gives me a lot of confidence.

"They just let me do what I'm good at and that's creating chances. And it pays off, so I'm really happy here."

With just two games left in the regular Women's Super League 2 season, Weerden was clear that the team need to get maximum points.

"Well, it's up to us now that we just win every game. There are two more games left, and we'll see how it ends if we just win these two games. 

"We have six points and we'll see what the others do, but it's up to us now that we just win our games.

"We need to keep doing that because there's two games to go and who knows what can happen," she said.

Many Palace players are now set to go away for the April international break, before they return on Sunday, 26th April with a trip to Sunderland.

**Following that will be the final game of the regular season - Portsmouth at home on Saturday, 2nd May.**

**Kicking off at 15:00 at the VBS Community Stadium, tickets are available via the button below!**

Buy Portsmouth tickets here!

Crystal Palace Women's winger Ashleigh Weerden gave her thoughts after the Eagles extended their unbeaten streak to five, with a 1-0 win over Ipswich on Sunday.

Ashleigh Weerden on the Ipswich win, the WSL2 assist record and promotion

Crystal Palace Women v Ipswich Town Women (2026-04-05)

Club

Club

What's Crystal Palace’s overall record in two-legged ties?

Benitez: Every European game now is like a Final

Ashleigh Weerden on the Ipswich win, the WSL2 assist record and promotion

Get ready for Europe!

26Chris
Richards

Club

Club

What's Crystal Palace’s overall record in two-legged ties?

Benitez: Every European game now is like a Final

Ashleigh Weerden on the Ipswich win, the WSL2 assist record and promotion

Get ready for Europe!

26ChrisRichards

26Chris
Richards