Home / Football / Conference League News Conference League draw: Crystal Palace to face Cypriot side AEK Larnaca while Fiorentina get Rakow Crystal Palace now know their route to the Conference League final Written by Jon Fisher Last Update: February 27, 2026 01:31:35 pm GMT 3 min read Crystal Palace will hope to gain revenge for a humbling Conference League loss to AEK Larnaca when they clash again in the round of 16. Todays draw pitted the Eagles with the Cypriot club who enjoyed a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park in October.Fiorentina, runners-up in 2023 and 2024, take on Polish side Rakow.Palace and Fiorentina will clash in the quarter-finals if they both get through.The draw for the Conference League round of 16 is: Lech Pozna v ShakhtarAZ Alkmaar v Sparta PragueCrystal Palace v AEK LarnacaFiorentina v RakowSamsunspor v Rayo VallecanoCelje v AEK AthensSigma Olomouc v MainzRijeka v StrasbourgThe draw for the Conference League quarter-finals is: Lech Pozna or Shakhtar v AZ Alkmaar or Sparta PragueCrystal Palace or AEK Larnaca v Fiorentina or RakowSamsunspor or Rayo Vallencao v Celje or AEK AthensSigma Olomouc or Mainz v Rijeka or StrasbourgThe draw for the Conference League semi-finals is: Lech Pozna/Shakhtar/AZ Alkmaar/Sparta Prague v Crystal Palace/AEK Larnaca/Fiorentina/RakowSamsunspor/Rayo Vallecano/Celje/AEK Athens v Sigma Olomouc/Mainz/Rijeka/StrasbourgTable of Contents1 Conference League schedule 2025/262 Who will win the 2025/26 Conference League?3 Where is the 2025/26 Conference League final?Conference League schedule 2025/26Each team played eight matches in the league phase of the Conference League, all against different opponents.The top eight sides in the table qualified automatically for the round of 16. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th competed in a two-legged knockout phase play-off to reach the last 16.Teams finishing 25th or lower were out of Europe for the season.StageDatesRound of 16March 12 and 19Quarter-finalsApril 9 and 16Semi-finalsApril 30 and May 7FinalMay 27 2026Who will win the 2025/26 Conference League?Before the last-16 draw, Premier League side Crystal Palace in their first European campaign were favourites to win the competition with bookmakers.Strasbourg, who appointed former Wolves and Bournemouth manager Gary ONeil following Liam Roseniors switch to Chelsea in January, are also considered contenders, with Rayo Vallecano, Fiorentina and Mainz not far behind, according to the odds.AEK Athens, Sparta Prague and Shakhtar Donetsk were also among the teams to reach the last 16 automatically, with each of those sides winning four times and losing only one of their initial eight matches.Holders Chelsea, who are in this seasons Champions League, had been considerable favourites to win the title throughout the 2024/25 competition, while Swedish side Djurgardens reached the semi-finals.In their first European final, Betis took an early lead against the Blues in the showpiece and led until the 65th minute in Wroclaw, where Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo then replied to ensure their side prevailed with a 4-1 victory.Where is the 2025/26 Conference League final?The Conference League final for this season will be staged at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. The game is scheduled for May 27. Topics: 1. FSV Mainz 05 ACF Fiorentina Conference League Crystal Palace F.C. Rayo Vallecano RC Strasbourg Alsace Follow us: Jon Fisher Jon has over 20 years' experience in sports journalism having worked at the Press Association, Goal and Stats Perform, covering three World Cups, an Olympics and numerous other major sporting events. Read more from Jon Fisher
