The German Eagles: Why one group fell in love with Croydon & Selhurst Park

Club

JUST NOW

Crystal Palace's fantastic debut season on the continental stage culminates in the UEFA Conference League Final on Wednesday – a proud occasion for many, including our very own German Eagles!

Oliver Glasner’s history makers have travelled far and wide this season, playing in front of supporters across the globe – including three international Supporters Clubs across Europe: the Austrian Eagles welcomed their compatriot Glasner and his players in pre-season; CPFC Norway were there for a historic night in Fredrikstad in August; and CPFC Polska have twice been able to host Palace on the road to Leipzig.

Now, with Palace fans flocking to Saxony, it is the turn of our German-based supporters, with Chris telling us his, and his group's, fantastic CPFC story...

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It felt real. Honest. Working class. Proper football
—Chris

When I was a young boy, my father said to me: 'listen here my son, we are Borussia Mönchengladbach.'

Well… sort of.

Growing up in a football-mad German family, I quickly decided my real club would be my hometown side, MSV Duisburg. We’ve had our fair share of ups and downs over the years – now sitting in League One – but supporting your local club teaches you loyalty very quickly.

I’m from the west of Germany, close to Düsseldorf, Cologne and the Dutch border. Duisburg is an old coal-and-steel city, very working class, very football obsessed. And in many ways, that’s exactly why Crystal Palace immediately felt familiar to me.

People always ask: “Why Palace?” Honestly, I believe clubs choose their supporters – not the other way around.

My Palace story started back in 2013. During my apprenticeship, I spent three weeks in London on a study course and decided I wanted to experience football in the “motherland” of the game.

Back then in Germany, English football still had this stereotype that the stadiums were quiet and polite – basically libraries with grass. I wanted to see for myself.

I checked the fixtures and found this London club I’d barely heard of: Crystal Palace were playing Leeds United in the Championship on 9th March 2013.

I travelled down to SE25 with absolutely no expectations… and completely fell in love with the place.

Croydon instantly reminded me of home. It wasn’t shiny tourist-postcard London – it felt real. Honest. Working class. Proper football. Sitting in the old wooden Main Stand, hearing the noise, feeling the atmosphere, and then watching Glenn Murray launch himself into the crowd after scoring… that was it for me. I remember thinking: “This is different. This is proper.”

From that moment on, Palace had me.

A few months later, while working as a sports instructor in Mallorca, I watched the play-off semi-finals with a group of English lads in a bar in Cala Bona. For the play-off final, I actually had to sneak away from my hotel shift just to watch the game. Priorities.

Back in Germany, I started telling friends and family about this incredible club in South London. Soon my dad and I were making regular trips over to Selhurst Park, bringing different groups of mates along each time – and every single person came back wanting more.

That eventually led to the creation of the German Eagles in 2018.

We started as six friends making regular trips to SE25 a few times a year and thought: why not make it official? Today we’re nine members strong, all based around Duisburg, all supporting different German clubs domestically, but united by the famous red and blue.

Even now, after following Palace for more than 12 years, I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad experience with another Palace fan. That says everything about the club and the people around it.

The best example of that came at the 2016 FA Cup Final.

At the time, I was studying in Plymouth and managed to get a ticket through my membership. My dad desperately wanted to come too – watching an FA Cup Final together had actually been on a bucket list we wrote when I was about 10 years old – but we couldn’t find him a ticket beforehand.

So we travelled to Wembley anyway, hoping for a miracle. We spent the day around the Green Man with Palace fans, trying our luck, but nothing came up. My dad was almost ready to head back to the hotel when another Palace supporter walked over and offered him a spare ticket.

I asked how much he wanted for it, already mentally preparing myself to spend a small fortune. His answer?

“Face value. From one Palace fan to another.”

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I still get goosebumps thinking about it
—Chris

That moment has always stayed with me. Honestly, I still get goosebumps thinking about it. Sometimes football gives you little reminders that you’ve found the right club – or maybe the right club found you.

As for this current Palace side… it genuinely feels special.

I fell in love with a Palace team featuring players like Johnny Williams, Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha – players full of flair, energy and character. This current squad reminds me of that era, just operating on an entirely different level.

Palace have never been about having the biggest stars or the biggest budget. The strength of this club has always been the collective spirit – players fighting for each other, fans fighting for the club, everyone pulling in the same direction. Oliver Glasner has brought all of that together perfectly.

And now here we are: a European Final.

The whole journey still feels surreal. From the disappointment of dropping into the Conference League, to adapting to Thursday nights across Europe, to unforgettable away trips and knockout wins… it’s been absolute madness in the best possible way.

My favourite moment? Probably the final whistle against Shakhtar Donetsk in Kraków. That was the moment it suddenly felt real – like maybe, just maybe, we were actually going to make it to Leipzig.

The roar at full-time was unbelievable. Thousands of Palace fans taking over Kraków’s main square, singing for hours… it felt like a dream.

And now, somehow, our first ever European Final takes place in Germany.

It honestly couldn’t be more perfect.

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So go out there and give us one last dance
—Chris

Five of us from the German Eagles will be travelling to Leipzig for the Final, while the others will be watching together back home. We cannot wait to welcome Palace fans to Germany and hopefully give them a trip they’ll never forget.

To the players, there’s really only one thing left to say:

Enjoy it.

You’ve already made us proud beyond words. You’ve given Palace supporters memories we never thought possible. We believe in this team completely – and if Palace play our football, we can beat anyone.

So go out there and give us one last dance.

Do it for Palace.

Do it for Croydon.

Do it for SE25.

Do it for the red and blue army.

Prediction? Oliver Glasner masterclass. Palace 3-1.

2026 UEFA Conference League Final

Crystal Palace v Rayo Vallecano

Wednesday, 27th May
20:00 BST UK time / 21:00 CEST local time
Leipzig Stadium, Germany
Live audio commentary on Palace TV+
Visit our Conference League Final Hub

Visit our Conference League Final Hub

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