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

## From Academy to Premier League

> Having joined the Palace Academy from Brentford in 2016, Tyrick Mitchell rose to prominence rapidly at Palace and set the record for the youngest-ever player to make 200 Premier League appearances for the club.

Mitchell was a regular in both of Palace's Under-18 and Under-23 Professional Development League South winning teams in 2017/18 as he spent a second campaign featuring at both levels.

A recruit from Brentford at the end of the 2015/16 season, Mitchell, an attacking left-back with bundles of pace, impressed sufficiently for the Academy side to be handed a chance with the Development team in 2016. He used that experience to his advantage in 17/18 as he helped his two teams to silverware.

In 2018/19, Mitchell was a regular fixture in Richard Shaw's U23s team and joined the first-team on their pre-season tour in the summer of 2019.

After returning from an injury sustained while on tour, Mitchell made several first-team squads and earned his Premier League debut against Leicester City in July 2020. He went on to secure his first Premier League start by playing the full 90 minutes against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In April 2021, he signed a contract extension through til the end of 2024/25. Mitchell then followed this up with his first goal and assist for the Eagles, as helped the side to a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa in May 2021.

His performances throughout 21/22 saw him earn a senior England call-up for the first time in March 2022, making his debut in a 2-1 win over Switzerland.

Mitchell was nearly ever-present in 2022/23, featuring for Palace in 38 out of a possible 41 games in all competitions. He made his 100th appearance in red and blue against Tottenham Hotspur towards the end of the campaign and was also awarded the PFA Community Champion Award for his support for the Palace for Life Foundation.

He was again so close to being ever-present in 2023/24, this time only missing a single game through injury. Nevertheless, he continued to make the left-back position his own, and even stepping further forward as a left wing-back under new manager Oliver Glasner. Mitchell concldued the campaign with his best attacking returns, with two goals and three assists.

In 2024/25, Mitchell was one of the first names on the teamsheet - featuring in 37 out of a possible 38 league games. He kept 11 clean sheets in the league, assisting five times. 

He also kept four clean sheets in the games he featured in as Palace lifted the FA Cup.

November 2021, December 2023

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The word ‘competitively’, however, is open to interpretation here – with our apologies to those fans attending the 1930 Kettering Hospital Cup, and also those who witnessed our last meeting with Fiorentina in 1990. 

On that occasion, it was the Memorial Pier Cesare Baretti tournament which saw the Eagles face *La Viola* – a three-club competition held in St. Vincent, in Northern Italy, just days before the Division One season began in August 1990.

The other clubs involved were Fiorentina and Sampdoria, and it was the former we faced first – a 1-2 defeat. Palace’s team included new signings Glyn Hodges and Eric Young, with Gary O’Reilly opening the scoring with a header in the 19th minute – only for *La Viola* to equalise with a penalty and eventually turn the game around.

Counting that as a pre-season competition, then, it is to 1973 we cast our gaze – a 2-2 draw between Fiorentina and Palace in the fourth edition of the Anglo-Italian Cup.

The 1973 format – rather different to that of the 1971 edition previously covered on these pages – saw the ‘points-for-goals’ rule abandoned, and the Eagles instead facing four different Italian sides while competing for qualification against three other English teams.

A 4-1 win against Verona at Selhurst Park in February 1973 was followed by a 1-0 away win in Bari in March, shortly before Malcolm Allison took the reins at Selhurst Park. 

Four days after his appointment, a 3-1 win at home to Lazio – John Craven grabbing a hat-trick – left Palace in need of a point in Florence to qualify for the semi-finals.

The game arrived on **2nd May 1973** – mere days after Palace suffered relegation from Division One – but, as one eyewitness told us, proved quite the occasion for all involved...

### The inside story

Hailing from just south of Rome, **David Cianfarani** – a long-time Season Ticket Holder at Selhurst Park – grew up serving Italian ice cream not far from the ground in Norwood, his great-grandfather having founded the Marcantonio brand so popular across South London.

A member at Selhurst Park’s Glaziers Club – often frequented by fans, players and staff alike – David got to know players including Peter Wall and Mel Blyth, among others.

In those days, the only travel was by coach, and that was a pretty long effort!

David Cianfarani (centre) with his grandson (left) and his son Luke (right)

And so, two weeks before Palace were due to visit Fiorentina, the players – aware of David’s fluent Italian – nominated the then-33-year-old as both the team’s interpreter and, even more importantly – with 13,000 or so fans attending the game – dedicated announcer! 

“It was absolutely amazing!” David recalls, 56 years later. “I didn't expect to be selected to go, but I dropped everything and went!

“My job was to check the players in and look after their orders at mealtimes.

"The players were all very friendly to me, and I got all their autographs while I was there."

Palace's signatures from 1973

The players' room allocations

And David had another vital role to fulfil...

"Very importantly, I also did the stadium announcements. That was quite daunting!

“There were very few travelling fans. It was really before away games started coming into fashion. In those days, the only travel was by coach, and that was a pretty long effort.

“But I really enjoyed it. It was a good game, too. I remember it being 2-2, and it was Derek Possee, who was a very small player, who got our two goals.”

He was a larger-than-life character, so it rather suited him going to those kind of places

The point saw Palace top their group and progress to the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Newcastle over two legs, but the memories of that trip to Florence abound for David. 

He smiles: “Malcolm Allison was the manager, and he was very flamboyant. He had this big fedora hat – people loved that over there!

“The thing about Malcolm was he had his way of doing things. 

"He was a larger-than-life character, so it rather suited him going to those kind of places, where he could smoke a cigar and wear dark glasses!”

And for the players? “The hotel was not the sort that footballers would be put in today! They were kind of motorway hotels, which in those days weren't very good. The players roomed in pairs – it was quite austere accommodation.

“Of course, in those days, players could eat and drink what they want, when they wanted to – so they had spaghetti every day! They just piled it on with meat and bolognese sauce. 

"Allison would always have a bottle of wine around! But everyone behaved very well.”

Last week's visit of Fiorentina to Selhurst Park saw a large number of Italian media attend the game – a trip to the Premier League's Palace a great occasion for both home and away team alike.

David recalls how that mirrored 1973: "Fiorentina, before the game, were at their hotel, and there was no press or anything like that until the time came.

"Whereas when Palace attended, it did create a lot of press interest, a game like that, as you can imagine."

How about Florence itself? 

“It’s an absolutely beautiful city,” David recalls. "I had been before.

“There’s a fantastic cathedral there, statues, a beautiful river, and a very old bridge called the Ponte Vecchio. We did a little bit of touring as a group, but not a great deal.

“We flew out and came back, as one does, fairly quickly – but it was a great experience for me, and a great one for Palace.

“Very few of the Palace players had been abroad. In those days, players didn't travel like they do now – so the competition was a real chance for people to see new places, and Palace did very creditably all the way through.”

**With thanks to David and Luke Cianfarani; and Ian King, Tony Bowden and Robert Salter for their research.**

### **Match Details**

**Fiorentina v Crystal Palace**

- Thursday, 16th April
- 20:00 BST
- UEFA Conference League quarter-final, second leg
- Artemio Franchi Stadium
- [Live audio commentary on Palace TV+](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

This fortnight's pair of meetings with Fiorentina see La Viola join a select band of clubs that Crystal Palace have faced on exactly three occasions competitively – Accrington Stanley, Kettering Town, Yeovil Town and, of course, AEK Larnaca this season.

An insider's account of Palace's last trip to Florence – 53 years on!

Newcastle United

Premier League

Crystal Palace

Last Match

UEFA Conference League

Fiorentina

Next Match

Get ready for Europe!

With Palace leading 3-0 from last week, the second leg will kick-off at **21:00 CET local time (20:00 BST)** on Thursday at the **Artemio Franchi Stadium** in Florence.

Ahead of Thursday, supporters can find important information surrounding the trip below.

### Ticketing information

**Tickets are being issued to each individual ticket holder via PDF print at home ticket**. All emails will be sent direct from Fiorentina.

If you have you haven’t received your ticket by 09:00 on Thursday, please contact the box office as soon as possible. Please remember to check your spam/junk folders before calling the box office.

Each ticket will include – **as listed on each supporter’s passport** – the purchaser’s name, date of birth, passport country of issue, and gender. All of these details are required by Italian law in order to obtain a ticket.

Please note that supporters can scan tickets on their phones by displaying the QR/barcode. There is no requirement to print out your tickets.

### Where to go on matchday…

On matchday, Palace supporters are expected to meet at **Giardini** **Piazza della Indipendenza** in central Florence.

**Local authorities have organised coaches** to take supporters from this point to the Artemio Franchi Stadium.  The first service will depart between **18:00** and **18:30** local time, depending on demand.

From then on, there will be regular shuttles from **Piazza della Indipendenza** to the ground. Please note that availability for this service is limited, and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

**If supporters choose to walk** to the Artemio Franchi Stadium, please note that this will take around 45 minutes from Piazza della Indipendenza.

### Mandatory passport checks

**All supporters will be required to take their passports to the stadium.**

**There will be strict stadium perimeter ticket checks**, where all supporters will be required to show the passport which matches the details on their ticket.

Supporters who do not have their own passports at the ticket checkpoint will be refused entry to the stadium perimeter. 

If the supporter’s passport does not match the details on their ticket, they will be refused entry to the stadium perimeter.

Palace staff will be on hand at the check point to help with any potential issues.

### Approaching the stadium

**Palace supporters must approach through** **Viale** **Pasquale Paoli** on the south-eastern side of the stadium, where there will be a ticketing and passport checkpoint.

Coaches will drop supporters off at the car park for the Mandela Forum (Parcheggio Mandela Forum), just before this checkpoint.

**Fans are advised to avoid the surroundings** of the North Stand (Curvia Fiesole) and South Stand (Curva Ferrovia) – in particular **Viale Manfredo Fanti, Via Frusa, Vale del Mille** and **Viale Malta** – **before and after the game.** 

### After the match

Following the full-time whistle, **supporters in the away end will be held back** for a short period of time (approximately 30 minutes) to allow home crowds to disperse. We thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation.

**Coaches will then collect Palace supporters from Parcheggio Mandela Forum** and return them to Piazza della Indipendenza.

### Stadium regulations

**[A list of stadium regulations can be found here](https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/6tC8rLfgRb1/1BSdBWIjCe7Pme/430fbf91-5845-432f-95ca-ddcc684a9aed.pdf)**, **which includes a list of prohibited items**.

**[An additional code of conduct can be found here](https://media-cdn.cortextech.io/6tC8rLfgRb1/1BSdBWIjCe7Pme/50ceb465-de10-45f8-93d0-ec6d865b43f7.pdf).**

### Attendance

**Tickets are strictly non-transferrable.** Anyone found transferring tickets without the club’s consent will be banned from purchasing for future European fixtures.

**Any supporter not using their ticket for this fixture may be blocked from purchasing future away tickets for European fixtures.** All ticket entries will be checked after the fixture has been played.

We understand that circumstances can change after you have purchased a ticket; in this instance, please contact the Box Office as soon as possible.

**Please note that Personal Assistant tickets are only valid when the disabled supporter also attends.** Any Personal Assistant attending without accompanying a disabled supporter will automatically be banned from purchasing future away tickets for the remainder of the season.

### Palace for All

Crystal Palace would like to remind supporters that all acts of discrimination, including inappropriate chanting, are **criminal offences** which can result in **criminal convictions and banning orders**.

As a club, we are clear that everyone is welcome at Palace. **We will not tolerate racial or homophobic chants or discriminating comments** towards a particular individual, or group of individuals.

Strong measures remain in place to tackle antisocial and criminal behaviours at matches, including throwing objects, drug use and discriminatory behaviour.

If you witness any such behaviour, please report it to the club by emailing **[customer.service@cpfc.co.uk](mailto:customer.service@cpfc.co.uk)** and **[inclusion@cpfc.co.uk](mailto:inclusion@cpfc.co.uk)** with details.

**We all have a role to play in keeping each other safe on matchdays – so please be mindful of your fellow fans.**

### In case of any queries...

In case of any queries whilst in Italy, our Head of Supporter Services and Disability Access Officer, Nikki, can be contacted at this dedicated phone number: 07345 703 244.

### Advice from the British Consulate General Milan

The official CDO travel [advice for travelling to Italy can be found here](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy).

Supporters who have lost or had their passports stolen and require an Emergency Travel Document **[can apply here.](https://www.gov.uk/travel-urgently-from-abroad-without-uk-passport)**

**More [information about the British Consulate General in Milan can be found here](https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-milan#our-services).**

### Time to spare in Florence?

The stadium is around a 45-minute walk from the historic city centre of Florence – the capital of Tuscany – which is a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned as the cradle of the Renaissance.

A beautiful city renowned for its art, architecture and history, the city offers a compact, walkable centre, rich in fashion and Tuscan cuisine.

A breathtaking city cathedral, **Basilica di** **Santa Maria del Fiore**, lies at its core – entrance is free, but paid admission is required for other areas, including the climb to the dome (Duomo Museum) – and is surrounded by **Piazza del Duomo** where local artists sell their work.

A must-see in the centre, the **Uffizi Gallery** is one of the world’s most influential art museums, featuring masterpieces from the likes of Botticelli, Da Vinci, Raphael and – of course – Michelangelo.

Not far away, the **Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze** is best known as the home of the Michelangelo sculpture *David*.

The historic medieval bridge over the River Arno, **Ponte Vecchio**, is famous for its spectacular vistas at sunset, whilst the vibrant **Mercato Centrale** offer vibrant food markets renowned for fresh produce, pasta and local snacks.

**[Click here for the official tourism website](https://www.feelflorence.it/en) of the Municipality and Metropolitan City of Florence.**

But wherever you go, you won’t be short of options both pre and post-match in this incredible city!

### Match Details

**Fiorentina v Crystal Palace**

- Thursday, 16th April
- 21:00 CET local time / 20:00 BST UK time
- UEFA Conference League quarter-final, second leg
- Artemio Franchi Stadium
- [Live audio commentary on Palace TV+](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

Crystal Palace travel to Fiorentina this week for the second leg of their UEFA Conference League quarter-final, looking to secure a place in a major European semi-final.

Palace on Tour: Important information for fans going to Florence

- **[Find out more about our Youth Cup semi-final against Manchester United this Friday (19:00 BST)](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/matches/under-18/efayc/2025-26/manchester-united-u18-vs-crystal-palace-u18-2026-04-17/2631041/).**

Seventeen-year-old Leon McKenzie was standing at the Kop end of Anfield in the spring of 1996, preparing for one of the biggest matches of his young career: a FA Youth Cup semi-final against a Liverpool side brimming with future stars.

For McKenzie, now a mentor at Palace’s Academy, the memories of that tie remain vivid more than 30 years later.

“Back then, it was Liverpool, Wimbledon, and a few others – obviously United too – but Liverpool were on another level,” he recalls.

“They had Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard… and the first-leg of the FA Youth Cup semi-final, we went to Anfield. Massive. I remember just thinking, yeah, this is great. You watch all the Liverpool players touch the badge as they walk out, and you think, okay, wow.”

There was a massive noise around a wonderkid called Michael Owen

McKenzie's focus was immediately drawn to one player in particular. “There was a massive noise around a wonderkid called Michael Owen. He was playing about two years up.

"We were just trying to keep him quiet. But he scored the first goal, around 15 or 16 minutes in, and then I ended up scoring at the Kop end to make it 1-1. I thought, right, it’s on – we’re in this tie and we’ve got a chance here.”

Despite McKenzie’s goal, the young Eagles went on to lose 4–2, and he then missed the second leg at Selhurst Park through injury  – a 3–3 draw that confirmed Liverpool’s 7–5 aggregate victory.

“Sometimes someone very special comes along and delivers in a way you can’t get in the way of, and Michael Owen was that.”

The FA Youth Cup remains the pinnacle of youth football in England, and Mckenzie sees why it holds such prestige. “It’s the real deal, as close as you’re going to play against the best. 

"If you get to the final and you play well, come together as a team, and come out victorious, then it’s history. Something that can never be taken away,” he says.

“Even getting to the semis and finals is an achievement in itself. It’s a competition every kid wants to be involved with.”

Following his rapid rise through the Palace Academy ranks, Mckenzie made his first-team debut at 17 during the 1996/97 season.

Over an 18-year playing career, he made over 400 senior appearances across seven clubs, including a season in the Premier League with Norwich City, where he formed a potent partnership with Dean Ashton and scored seven top-flight goals.

After retiring from football, he embarked on a career in professional boxing, winning eight of 11 bouts before retiring in 2017.

Today, Mckenzie brings that experience to the Academy. 

“I mentor the academy, now in my fourth season, giving the boys a different kind of support,” he explains. 

“I’m not a coach; I don’t work for the club in that sense. I build relationships, get to know the players more than most, provide a different outlet, a support element. Emotional thoughts, feelings – all these things come into it.”

It’s not just turning up and playing the Youth Cup semi-final

He emphasises that his role is about helping young players cope with the realities of elite sport. “Players will reach out for many things, whether it’s about the game or how they’re feeling in general. With my experiences in football and boxing, I wish I’d had someone like me.

Whether they’re signing contracts, breaking into the first team, not playing, or dealing with injuries, I try to help them cope with challenges. That’s my job – to level that off.”

Mckenzie also stresses the importance of preparation and habits in shaping young players, particularly ahead of a huge Youth Cup tie. “It’s not just turning up and playing the Youth Cup semi-final. It’s knowing what you’ve done every day to prepare.

When you’ve done everything to get to this moment, you can’t fail in terms of preparation. You have to deliver everything you’ve been doing day in, day out. If you’re not focused, it will bite you against teams like Man United, Liverpool, or Man City.”

Now, nearly three decades later, Palace’s U18s have reached the FA Youth Cup semi-final stage once more, this time against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Friday, 17th April (19:00 BST).

The young Eagles booked their place in dramatic fashion, as Chuks Okoli’s last-gasp winner sealed a 3-2 comeback over five-time Youth Cup winners – and 2024/25 treble winners – Aston Villa at Villa Park.

“I watched the Aston Villa game; it was amazing,” said Mckenzie. “We should have lost that game with the chances they had. Raihaan Anderson scores an unbelievable goal, my guy Chuks comes in, and the rest is history.

"It creates a different kind of camaraderie, a different atmosphere. They think, oh, actually, we can do this. I’m excited for them, but again, it’s about enjoying it and taking that chance.”

U18 Highlights: FA Youth Cup | Aston Villa 2-3 Crystal Palace

Darren Fletcher’s United side arrive in strong form, having won 12 consecutive matches in 2026 and demonstrating their pedigree with victories over Peterborough United, Derby County, Oxford United, and Sunderland. They are the most successful club in Youth Cup history, lifting the trophy 11 times.

For Palace, this marks their first FA Youth Cup semi-final appearance since 1997  –  nearly 30 years after McKenzie's own Youth Cup journey in 1995/96. That 1997 side, featuring Clinton Morrison, Wayne Carlisle, and Hayden Mullins, overcame Blackburn Rovers 4-3 on aggregate to reach the final.

Should the current Eagles progress, they will face Manchester City, who overcame Blackburn Rovers 4–1 on Friday in the other semi-final of the Youth Cup.

Reflecting on the ties to his own experiences, McKenzie urges the current crop to embrace the occasion. “Enjoy what this is; it doesn’t come around all the time. Anything can happen if you’re prepared and as a team you’ve prepared.

"Compete – even if the other team has technically better players, you always have a chance. That’s the beauty of the Youth Cup.”

From his own Youth Cup journey to mentoring the next generation, McKenzie's story is all about his love for the game. As Palace’s U18s step onto one of football’s biggest stages, they’re chasing history – a trophy the club last won the year Leon was born, back in 1978. 

Surely, it’s meant to be?

### Match Details

**Manchester United U18s v Crystal Palace U18s**

- Friday, 17th April
- 19:00 BST
- Old Trafford
- FA Youth Cup semi-final
- LIVE on TNT Sports 2

Former Crystal Palace striker and Academy graduate Leon McKenzie, who featured in the 1995/96 FA Youth Cup semi-final, sat down ahead of Palace’s Youth Cup last-four clash with Manchester United this week to share memories of that tie, the magic of the competition, and his role mentoring the next generation.

Leon McKenzie recalls star-studded '96 Youth Cup semi-final

Manchester United U18 v Crystal Palace U18 (2026-04-17)

Club

Club

An insider's account of Palace's last trip to Florence – 53 years on!

Palace on Tour: Important information for fans going to Florence

Leon McKenzie recalls star-studded '96 Youth Cup semi-final

Get ready for Europe!

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