A fascinating thread has emerged explaining why Crystal Palace’s UEFA Conference League victory is bad news for four English clubs in particular.

Crystal Palace took on Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on Wednesday evening at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.

Oliver Glasner was looking to end his stint at the south London club on a high and that’s what he did as his side triumphed 1-0.

Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal of the game in the 50th minute as Palace won just the second major trophy in their history and their first European title.

Four English Clubs Impacted By Palace’s Victory

Palace’s triumph has impacted how next season’s Carabao Cup will operate, with four English clubs affected, as explained by BBC Sport rules expert Dale Johnson.

Palace were due to enter next season’s competition in the second round after finishing 15th in the Premier League. However, their victory, which has seen them qualify for next season’s Europa League, means they will now enter in the third round, alongside the other eight English clubs that will compete in Europe.

To ensure there are 23 teams that qualify for the third round of the Carabao Cup, Crawley Town, Rochdale, Tranmere Rovers and York City must now play a preliminary round. These matches will take place a week before the first round.

Because the first and second rounds are regionalised, two of these sides must be placed in the southern half and two in the north.

However, this could cause an issue. Crawley are in the south, while the other three teams are based in the north of England.

Tranmere, based in Merseyside, are the most southern team of the trio, but their position close to the west coast does not make it more accessible than Rochdale or York to most.

Johnson theorises that the EFL could now hold an open draw to see which of Tranmere, Rochdale and York play Crawley – and thus must feed into the southern section of the draw.

The whole scenario is set to cause serious logistical problems with some teams having to travel great distances for their matches.

Dean Henderson Pays Tribute to Oliver Glasner

Palace captain Dean Henderson was full of praise for Glasner after their triumph. He said, per Palace’s official website: “There’s a mixture of emotions,” Henderson added. “It’s like a weight lifted off your shoulders, obviously, because you want to deliver when you’re under pressure. I had no doubt that the boys would do that today.

“I felt that we missed a few chances, but thankfully it went our way. The best team deserved to win and I think we were on the night. We’ve got back what we deserved from last season. It’s a fairytale.

“The manager has been incredible. He deserves his send-off and I think this is how it should have ended. I’m so happy for him as well.”

Novak Djokovic has been defying time in his performance at the French Open this year. He progressed to the third round of the tournament after beating French world ranked No. 74 Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3.

Djokovic and the crowd, however, showed some animosity towards one another over the course of the game, with the home crowd loud in their support for his French rival. The 39-year-old now moves on, though, to face Brazil 19-year-old Joao Fonseca in the third round for a place in the last 16.

In taking the win, Djokovic secured a 21st third-round appearance at the tournament, extending his own personal record. The 24-time Grand Slam champion also became the first man to play 120 matches at a single Grand Slam event, and looks poised to continue his journey towards a record-breaking 25th title.

Novak Djokovic Booed By French Fans

This incredible achievement, however, does not come without its controversy. Djokovic was affected by the vocal crowd, at one point having a serve interrupted by a spectator and boos from the audience. This forced the umpire to call: “Ladies and gentlemen, please have some respect for both of the players.”

In response to this call, Djokovic was seen on the court to respond: “They have no respect. No respect.”

While the Serbian did not allow this interruption to affect the rest of his performance, he later added on the court: “I hope I won’t play any more French players for the rest of the tournament.”

The atmosphere of the home crowd was clearly a concern, with Djokovic acknowledging: “It was a very tough match, a challenge right from the start.”

With his next opponent being Brazilian, the crowd will likely serve as less of a problem in Djokovic’s third-round match. Joao Fonseca fought back in his second-round match from two sets behind, beating the young Croatian star Dino Prizmic 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.

Heat Causing Problems For Players at French Open

The crowd isn’t the only concern for players at Roland Garros. The recent heat wave has had a huge impact on players, with Djokovic calling for organisers to use common sense and push more matches to later in the day due to the extreme heat.

This cause for concern was seen when 26th-seed Jakub Mensik collapsed on the court due to cramps and left the court in a wheelchair during his second-round win over Mariano Navone.

Ever since his 2024 move away from Manchester United, Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay has established himself as one of the most exciting footballers on the planet. In Italy, he has been pivotal for Napoli, leading them to Serie A glory in 2024/25.

He also won the Supercoppa Italiana this season and was named Serie A Footballer of the Year in 2025. Now 29, he’ll have the chance to further his reputation on the global stage with Scotland at the 2026 World Cup, with Group C fixtures to come against Haiti, Morocco, and Brazil.

Having come through the Man Utd academy, if he were ever to come back to England, many would expect an Old Trafford return to be on the cards. However, another Premier League side could turn out to be his next destination.

McTominay Tipped For ‘Transformative’ Summer Move

There have been rumours that McTominay could be chased by English clubs this summer, and Newcastle United have been among those to be ‘seriously considering’ a move for the Napoli star in 2026. Adding to this, head of Sun Sport Shaun Curtis has now tipped it as the ideal move for the Magpies.

Speaking on Inside the Toon, via TalkSport, he named Jean-Philippe Mateta, Omar Marmoush, and Goncalo Ramos as possible striker targets before adding:

Adam Clery of the Independent then agreed, as he added: “I would love Scott McTominay.”

McTominay Has Already Addressed His Napoli Future

McTominay has scored 14 goals and added a further four assists in all competitions this season as Napoli came second in Serie A behind Inter Milan. While they weren’t able to win back-to-back league titles, Napoli at least secured Champions League qualification, which cannot be said of AC Milan and Juventus, who finished fifth and sixth respectively.

With Newcastle linked to the Scottish midfielder, it appears as though his current side aren’t so keen on entertaining an exit. Indeed, while his contract runs until 2028, Napoli have already initiated extension talks, which would see him land a salary increase to reflect his performances on the pitch.

McTominay has previously spoken about his situation, playing down the idea that he’s got his eye on a move away from Italy. In February, he said: “My agent has not communicated with anyone regarding my future. He only speaks with me and with the club.

“He hasn’t said anything to the newspapers. I am extremely happy here and, as far as I am concerned, I am a Napoli player; it is all I think about. The future is very important and I could see myself in Napoli for a long time.”

It will be interesting to see if Newcastle try and make a move for McTominay this summer, and if he would be interested in a Premier League return.