- Munoz keen to bring more silverware to South London
- How he’s captured the hearts of the Palace faithful
- Can Oliver Glasner’s final game serve up another trophy?
Daniel Munoz is without question one of the most important players to Crystal Palace right now. His ability to maraud down the right-hand side, creating chance after chance, and even popping up with a goal, has captured the imagination and adoration of every Palace fan.
Perhaps his best moment in a red-and-blue shirt is one that the history books will not record. May 12th, 2025. 59 minutes into the FA Cup Final, as Palace led Manchester City by one goal to nil.
History Maker Munoz
Munoz drilled a shot which was parried by Stefan Ortega, only for the Colombian to beat three defenders to the rebounding ball and slide it over the line to double Palace’s lead. Wembley quite literally shook, just as defender Maxence Lacroix had warned it would.
115 decibels, the loudest Wembley has ever been, and even louder than the cheers on the final note of the referee’s whistle.
An offside in the build-up, which in typical fashion required microscopic analysis to determine, meant Palace’s lead was slashed back to one goal, and an anxiety-inducing forty minutes of football would pass before the name Crystal Palace could be engraved onto the most historic trophy in football.
A moment that the history books certainly will record, however, is Munoz becoming the first Crystal Palace player to ever score in European competition, netting against Dynamo Kyiv in Palace’s first game of the Conference League league phase.
Looking For Further Success
“I think this season is special,” Munoz said, speaking to the club’s media team. “When you play a tournament of this level – whether it’s the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League – it’s always exciting.”
“But since it’s the first time in Palace’s history, it’s even more exciting. It’s exciting to play these matches, go to all these places and to progress through the round.”
Munoz certainly shares that sentiment with the fanbase, who have experienced somewhat of a fascinating European journey so far. Twelve European games have been played by Oliver Glasner’s side so far, including play-offs. Twelve more than the club had ever played in their history.
Norway, Poland, France, Dublin, Bosnia and Cyprus. Over 13,200 miles of travelling – it’s been some season.
“We’ve already seen it with the other two trophies last year: to reach the final in Leipzig, I think, would be something beautiful for the club.” Munoz continued. “We want to play it, we want to win it, and we want to bring that trophy back to all the Crystal Palace fans.”
“For all the support and encouragement that they give us, in every single match, they deserve it.”
Palace are bookies’ favourites to lift the trophy in Leipzig in May, and they face up against Fiorentina next week in the first leg of their maiden European quarter-final.
Munoz and his Palace teammates have yet another chance to make history and make Glasner’s final game one to remember.
