Ex-PGMOL chief: Crystal Palace face partial closure of Selhurst Park after Europa League incident

Keith Hackett has claimed that Crystal Palace could face a partial closure of Selhurst Park after kick-off for the second game against Fiorentina was delayed.

The Eagles beat the Italian side 3-0 at home for the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final tie.

However, the match was not without its problems, with a load of tape getting stuck in the goal’s netting at half-time.

This led to the start of the second half being delayed as staff tried to remove this from the net.

Now, Hackett has told Football Insider that the club could face a fine or a closure of part of their stadium for their next home European tie as they look to win the Conference League.

Keith Hackett: Crystal Palace face potential punishment after second-half delay

As the teams headed out for the start of the match, fans threw white tape from the stands to help build an atmosphere for the tie.

The game was arguably Palace’s biggest of the season to date, and this no doubt helped them achieve a comprehensive victory.

However, the amount of tape thrown was perhaps underestimated, as it eventually resulted in a delay for the second half.

When reviewing the footage, Hackett was far from amused and exclusively told Football Insider that the club could now face substantial punishment.

Kick off for the second half has been delayed at Selhurst Park due to tape being stuck in the goal net 😅

📺 Stream with TNT Sports on HBO Max pic.twitter.com/FAuOcwILyo— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 9, 2026

He said: “The UEFA Match Delegate will have taken photographs of this incident and recorded timings and will include in his report any delay to the restart.

“Crystal Palace will be charged and face a fine, and also the possibility of a closure of part of their stadium when their next UEFA game takes place.”

When do the Conference League semi-finals take place?

After their victory over Fiorentina, many Palace fans will be looking forward to when the semi-finals of the competition will take place.

Barring a massive collapse, Oliver Glasner’s side should make it to the next round as they look to win yet another trophy.

The date for the first leg of the semi-final is 30 April, with the second leg set to take place on 7 May.

As it stands, Palace are likely to face Shakhtar Donetsk, who beat AZ in the first leg of their semi-final.

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