The UEFA verdict arrived on a Monday morning, two weeks before the match, delivered in the dry, bureaucratic language of European football's governing body.
Three paragraphs of legal phrasing, sub-clauses referencing Article 16 of the Disciplinary Regulations, a case number, a date stamp. I read it in my office at Beckenham with Sarah standing across the desk, her coffee untouched.
The headline was simple: Olympique de Marseille were found guilty of a failure to ensure the safety of the visiting team.
The sanction: a fine of €100,000 pocket change for a club of Marseille's size and a ban on travelling supporters for their next two away European fixtures. That meant no Marseille fans at Selhurst Park on November 23rd. Not a reduced allocation. Not a restricted section. Zero. The away section would be empty.
Twenty-five thousand, four hundred and eighty-six seats. Every single one of them occupied by Crystal Palace supporters.
"They did it," Sarah said quietly.
