A new tournament
From 2008 until 2021, there were just two major European international club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League.
Prior to this period UEFA had run more the two competitions, with the Intertoto Cup and the old Cup Winners' Cup. Palace's only previous European experience prior to this season came in the former in the summer of 1998, losing a two-legged tie to Turkish club Samsunspor after qualifying through application.
After the Intertoto Cup was abolished and the Europa League was reformed in 2008, the idea of a third continental competition seemed to be a thing of the past.
Yet, on 24th September 2019 – a new third-tier tournament, the UEFA Europa Conference League – was officially introduced.
Its purpose, as described by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, was to provide more clubs with the ability to participate in regular European competition.
He said: "There will be more matches for more clubs, with more associations represented in the group stages.
"There was a widespread demand by all clubs to increase their chances of participating more regularly in European competition."
Indeed, since then, teams from Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein and Lithuania – as well as Northern Ireland and Wales – have all flown their nations’ flag for the first time in European club football proper.
It should not be understated, either, the opportunity of building a UEFA club coefficient, in terms of draws in future European ventures – something Palace would benefit from, should they emerge victorious in Leipzig.
