On-loan Crystal Palace winger Evann Guessand has the chance to become the first player ever to win two European trophies in one season. Guessand, 24, signed for Aston Villa in the summer for £26million from Nice, with Unai Emery’s side fending off competition from Palace for the forward’s signature.
However, the Ivory Coast international made the loan switch to Selhurst Park in January. He will now bag two winners’ medals if Villa and Palace win the Europa League and Europa Conference League, respectively.
Villa will face German side Freiburg on Wednesday, while Palace travel to Leipzig to face Rayo Vallecano a week later. Guessand featured seven times in the Europa League for Villa during the league phase, netting against Go Ahead Eagles and FC Basel.
While he’s spent most of his time at Palace on the treatment table due to a knee injury, he’s played five times in the Conference League, scoring against Zrinjski Mostar.
The 24-year-old, while not a household name, could be on the cusp of making history should both English sides prevail. Former Manchester United star Antony almost stole the accolade ahead of Guessand last season, however.
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The Brazilian moved to Real Betis on loan from United as both his parent club and the Spanish side reached the finals of the Europa League and Conference League, respectively. The 26-year-old was denied two medals as United and Betis both lost.
Guessand made 13 Premier League appearances for Villa before leaving for the Eagles. Sky Sports have reported that if the winger registers eight goal contributions, it will trigger a clause in his loan deal to make it a permanent move for £28m.
It is also said Palace hold an option to buy Guessand for £28.5m if he fails to record eight goal involvements – and that the player has already agreed a four-year contract if his loan is made permanent.
He has scored twice for Palace, netting in the Premier League and Conference League, while notching an assist. Upon joining Palace in the winter window, Guessand seemed to indicate it was the move he had been waiting for all along.
View 2 ImagesGuessand moved to Crystal Palace in January(Image: 2026 Sebastian Frej)
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Aston Villa have reached the UEFA Europa League final where they face SC Freiburg on May 20. Fans can watch the game without a TNT Sports subscription by signing up to the HBO Max Basic With Ads plan via Prime Video’s HBO Max channel.
“I’m really excited, really excited to be here. I was waiting for this moment for a very long time,” he said. “I’m excited to play with my new team-mates and fight with them, because we have some objectives, some targets, and I think with the quality we have, we can achieve something.
“I’ve seen a lot of qualities in this team. I’ve seen them playing. I think my first game in the [Premier] League was against Crystal Palace, and I’ve seen the quality of this team.
“Every player has this mentality to win, and the manager as well. I spoke with him and the way he plays, the way he gets the best from his players, this is what I really like. I want to improve – I want to get better and better every day – so there are lots of reasons to come here.”
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Villa will take on Freiburg in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday night in the Europa League final. It will represent Villa’s first chance to win a major European trophy since 1982.
Palace will face Vallecano in Leipzig, Germany, on Wednesday, May 27. The game will offer the Eagles the chance to win their first-ever trophy on the European stage and operate as a fitting farewell to outgoing manager Oliver Glasner, should the Eagles emerge victorious.
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