Adam Wharton has expressed excitement ahead of Crystal Palace’s quarter-final showdown with Fiorentina in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Palace secured their place in the last eight in dramatic fashion, edging past AEK Larnaca with a 2-1 extra-time victory.
In a fiercely contested tie, Ismaila Sarr proved decisive, netting the winner to seal progression on aggregate.
Looking ahead, Wharton acknowledged the magnitude of the upcoming challenge while embracing the opportunity.
“It’s exciting. A quarter-final of a European competition, it’s a massive thing,” he said.
“A lot of us players haven’t played in Europe before, Crystal Palace haven’t, so it’s a great chance for us, the club, the fans to go there.
“Fiorentina are a big club. I think pretty much everyone will know who they are. They’re a big club in Italy, and it’ll be a great challenge for us, and hopefully we can go there and get through to the next round.”
As Palace gear up for the next round, Wharton also highlighted Sarr’s growing influence in the squad, especially in high-pressure moments.
“He’s been top,” Wharton declared. “He’s been doing well in the Premier League as well.
“He’s scoring a lot of goals, getting a lot of assists, and he’s so quick. So especially against these teams, if you get that little bit of space in behind, because they’re so compact, it works wonders having him. So we’re really happy to have him.”
Transitioning from domestic to European football has required tactical adjustments, and Wharton shed light on the team’s evolving approach in knockout fixtures.
“I think a big part of it is game management, making sure you don’t go a goal down, because when you do, it’s very difficult and they go even deeper than they already start.
“And just trying to prevent their counter-attacks. We did it quite a lot last year in the Premier League, and we got a lot of joy from it, sitting deep and hitting on the counter, and that’s where a lot of our success came from.
“In this competition, it’s been a lot more of us in possession, trying to break down the low blocks. So it’s been a different tactical side of the game.”
All things considered, Palace head into the quarter-finals with confidence and growing experience.
However, with Fiorentina looming, the next phase promises a sterner test: one that could define their European journey.
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