You may have spotted Crystal Palace wearing a slightly different shirt during the last venture into Europe in August, during the clash against Fredrikstad.
As Oliver Glasner watched his side secure a 0-0 draw and progress into the UEFA Conference League on aggregate, thanks to a goal by Jean-Philippe Mateta in the first leg, the players wore a Palace for Life sponsor as opposed to the usual Net88 seen in domestic action.
So, why have Crystal Palace adopted a different sponsor in Europe? Let’s take a look.
Differing advertising regulations means Palace for Life sponsor is likely to appear again
The Eagles wore the Palace for Life sponsor in Norway due to Norwegian advertising regulations prohibiting it from being displayed.
As far as we understand, similar restrictions exist in Poland – where the clash against Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv is taking place on Thursday – unless advertisers are in possession of a Polish gambling licence.
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Dynamo KyivDynamo Kyiv
Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace
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Net88 are not understood to possess such a licence, so the Palace for Life sponsor is expected to be on show once again when we take on Dynamo Kyiv inside the Lublin Arena.
Crystal Palace also posted a photo of Mateta wearing the Palace for Life sponsor on the home shirt when posting a preview piece ahead of Thursday’s clash, which suggests Net88 will again have to be dropped for a second consecutive away day in Europe.
It has since been confirmed that Crystal Palace will once again wear this sponsor in Europe.
In our view, the Palace for Life sponsor looks much better adorning the front of the shirt, so while Net88 will be frustrated, this is largely a positive for those who hate to see strange companies plastered across the kit.
UEFA regulations could present opportunities for Crystal Palace fringe players
European football is a new experience for Crystal Palace, and it carries other quirks some might be unaware of – UEFA can even close Selhurst Park, for example.
Furthermore, UEFA regulations also allow Glasner to name 12 substitutes on the bench – as opposed to only nine in the Premier League.
It means the Austrian can add more young talents to his matchday squad in Europe, such as the prolific Ben Casey – who currently sits top of the U18 Premier League scoring charts with ten goals in six games.
Hopefully, the Eagles can make a strong start in Europe, and ensure the last few games of the league phase can be used to test out promising talents.
