Captain Dean Henderson praised Crystal Palace’s remarkable achievement after the team secured a spot in the semi-finals of the Conference League with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Fiorentina.
The Premier League club traveled to Tuscany with a 3-0 advantage from the first leg, but Fiorentina made it challenging by winning 2-1 at home. Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring for the Eagles in the 17th minute, and despite a strong response from Fiorentina, Palace managed to advance.
Palace’s next challenge is against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, whom they will face away on April 30 and at Selhurst Park on May 7.
“This is unbelievable,” said Henderson, speaking to TNT Sports. “For this football club, it’s sensational, especially when you think about the FA Cup last year and then continuing to write a new chapter in the book. It’s phenomenal.”
“The fans have been with us through difficult times this season, and I hope we can deliver something really special. It was a tough game, very tough. You don’t know how it will go, and a 3-0 scoreline is dangerous. But we’ve managed to get through, so who cares?”
“Of course, the aim is to win it. That’s what we’re here for. We have togetherness in this group. At the business end of the season, we come together and move forward.”
Sarr scored his seventh goal of the European campaign and 17th of the season with a powerful header, set up by Daniel Munoz. Albert Gudmundsson then converted a penalty to reduce Fiorentina’s deficit to three.
Cher Ndour gave the hosts the lead eight minutes after the break, but Palace held on to reach their first-ever European semi-final.
However, not all news was positive for Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who had to make two first-half substitutions due to injuries to Adam Wharton and Maxence Lacroix, who collided with Munoz.
Glasner later revealed that Wharton seemed to have suffered another adductor injury, which the Austrian initially described as “not looking too serious, but we’ll have to assess.” Lacroix felt something in his knee but appears to have avoided a serious issue. He posted a flexed-bicep photo on his Instagram Stories with the caption: “No problem, thank you Lord! Semi-finals here we go!”
Glasner praised his team’s resilience and believed they “deserve to be in the semi-final.” He added on TNT Sports: “It’s a massive achievement for the players and for Crystal Palace. We’re enjoying tonight.”
“Of course, when you play in the semi-final, you want to go all the way, and that’s what we’ll aim for.”
