Crystal Palace are your 2026 Conference League champions!

The Eagles hoist their very first European trophy in their very first European campaign thanks to a Mateta put-back, beating Rayo Vallecano 1-0.

We talk how Palace's pace and off-ball execution were able to snuff out Rayo's build-up and attack, the general chaotic nature of the match, and why Glasner deserves so much credit for his work at the club the past year.

We also eulogize Rayo's valiant run to the final and applaud both sets of supporters for an incredible atmosphere in Leipzig. This is exactly the kind of meeting the Conference League was built for!

Finally, we consider next steps for each club, with both head coaches departing this summer, as well as a few key players. What does Palace need to do to take the next step in the Europa League next season? And can Rayo maintain their recent success under new management with the current condition of the club?

Cheers to Oliver Glasner (and of course, el puto Rayo)!

We're back to talk Conference League final!

Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano face off in what some are calling the most wholesome final of all time.

We talk all about their respective journeys to the final, their very brief European journeys of the past, and what it would mean to capture a first continental trophy.

We also revisit some of the more extraordinary off-the-pitch circumstances Rayo has had to overcome to be here, thanks to their diabolical owner.

Finally, we give our 3 keys to victory for each side and deliberate on which tactics may be deployed to gain advantages in what is likely to be a matchup with a razor-thin margin.

We may even take a brief detour on our beloved Intertoto Cup.

Cheers Oliver Glasner and Iñigo Pérez!

It's official – Aston Villa is your 2026 Europa League champion!

We recap how Villa triumphed over SC Freiburg for their first European trophy since 1982 (and Emery's 5th!), discussing how they dominated virtually every phase of the game, the phenomenal goals from Tielemans, Buendia, and Rogers, Emery's usual tactical mastery, Emi doing Emi things, and much more.

Then we review what went wrong for Freiburg, whose magical run ended with a bitter pill, including why they missed Suzuki, Grifo and Beste's lack of involvement, and Manzambi's lively efforts.

Finally, we debate what each side needs to accomplish over the summer to push on to another season of Europe (Villa in the Champions League, Freiburg in the Conference). Can Villa and Emery build on this triumph and strengthen the squad? Can Freiburg replace some of their aging veterans?

Major credit to both clubs for a wonderful season, but Villa were the form team throughout the competition and rolled through the knockouts. Thoroughly deserved champions.

Big cheers to Unai Emery and the Villains!

The Europa League final between Aston Villa and Freiburg is nye upon us, and we're breaking down everything you need to know before Wednesday's kickoff!

We've got a fascinating matchup between two clubs with vastly different backgrounds, but clubs that actually share a lot in common on the pitch.

We discuss the paths each side took to reach the summit of Europa League mountain, their respective European histories, and explain why it would mean so much for each to hoist the trophy.

Then we breakdown keys to victory for each side. Can Freiburg find success on set pieces? Can Aston Villa win the midfield battle, and how will Lindelof cope in the 6? How will Freiburg cope as the heavy underdog?

We also discuss each club's incredible continuity from the top down in recent years and what sort effect that may have on the match. Plus, what's at stake as they hope to win their first European silverware in 44 years (Villa) and first top-flight silverware ever (Freiburg). Spoiler: a lot!

All that, some predictions, and more on the show.

Cheers to Unai Emery and Julian Schuster!

Timecodes:

0:00 – The start + World Cup announcement

11:31 – Freiburg's path to the final

13:56 – Villa's path to the final

24:53 – Keys to victory

38:30 – Freiburg & Villa rosters & tactics

55:53 – Predictions & cheers

The final European Thursday of the season has come and gone, and we have two pairs of finalists to show for it!

We express our excitement at the spectacle, as 3 of our 4 winners qualified for their first ever major European final (and the 4th, Aston Villa, returns to one after 44 years).

First we tackle the Europa League, where Villa dismantled a shoddy and somewhat short-handed Nottingham Forest. Can anyone beat Villa when they're their best? And is Emery just inevitable in this competition?

We then discuss how Freiburg handled 10-men Braga, thanks in part to an early red card and the young Swiss #10 Manzambi.

In the Conference League, Palace punished a vibrant but naive Shakhtar with ruthless counter-attacking and an experience Rayo Vallecano pressed the life out of the youthful Strasbourg. We explore how both Rayo and Palace controlled their respective games without the ball, each in very different ways, and look ahead to how these styles might clash in the final.

Finally, we make our tentative predictions for the showdowns in Istanbul and Wrocław.

Cheers to Iñigo Pérez!

Timecodes:

00:50 – the start, clubs rotating players ahead of semifinals

7:28 – Aston Villa-Nottingham Forest

21:15 – Freiburg-Braga

34:47 – Quick UEL final thoughts

38:06 – Crystal Palace-Shakhtar Donetsk

50:47 – RC Strasbourg-Rayo Vallecano

01:12:13 – Quick UECL final thoughts

01:16:28 – Are we at risk of English clubs dominating the UEL & UECL?

It was a compelling day of Europa and Conference League football, with 3 of the 4 home sides taking goal-advantages in the 1st leg of the semifinals.

Braga strengthened their case as the UEL's team of destiny, delighting their fans with a stoppage-time winner over Freiburg, while Forest edged past Villa 1-0 thanks to Chris Wood penalty.

In the UECL, Rayo Vallecano rode a confident 2nd-half display to take a narrow lead into Strasbourg next Thursday, and Crystal Palace impressed with a brutally efficient 3-1 display over Shakhtar.

We discuss how each victor earned their results, our level of concern for each loser, and what we think will be different in the 2nd legs.

Plus, everyone's favorite – a contentious and bitter takedown of VAR! Hooray!

Cheers Oliver Glasner!

It was another scintillating showcase of Europa and Conference League football Thursday, with more goals abounding.

The headline of the night is of course Braga's wild comeback in Seville, where they shocked Real Betis with four consecutive goals to advance. How has Braga become such a resilient group? And what went wrong for Betis?

Nottingham Forest squeaked through Porto thanks to a very silly red card and a deflected shot. Are they the 2024-25 Tottenham of this year's competition? Meanwhile, Aston Villa and Freiburg took care of business in impressive fashion. Are they our new favorites to meet in next month's final?

Over in the Conference, we witnessed two brilliant comeback attempts, with Strasbourg overwhelming Mainz and AEK Athens falling just short to Rayo Vallecano despite Zine's career night.

We also discuss Crystal Palace managing Fiorentina and Shakhtar extinguishing AZ Alkmaar.

Finally, we close with some brief thoughts on each eliminated team. What does each club need to do to replicate their European journeys and to go a step further?

Cheers to Carlos Vicens (and sub-cheers to Gary O'Neil)!

We're back for the 1st legs of the Europa and Conference League quarterfinals and we got a jam-packed Thursday full of goals!

We tackle all the best action from both competitions, from Forest's improbable draw in Porto to Freiburg's demolition of Celta Vigo, from Fiorentina's humiliation in South London to Shakhtar's shocking late rout of AZ Alkmaar.

Plus we answer all of your most pressing questions: How has Urs Fischer turns Mainz around so dramatically, and how did he out-maneuver Gary O'Neil's injury-riddled Strasbourg? What went wrong for Bologna after a promising opening against Villa, and is Jonathan Rowe an emerging star? Could Braga actually upset Betis in Sevilla, and why is Max always so mean to them?

All that, a lookahead to the 2nd legs, and of course, a pitstop at David's Coefficient Corner.

Cheers to Urs Fischer!