Ivory Coast international Evann Guessand has written his name into European football history after becoming the first player to win two major UEFA club competitions in the same season.
The 24-year-old forward achieved the rare feat following Crystal Palace’s Conference League final victory on Wednesday, adding to his earlier success in the Europa League with Aston Villa during the first half of the campaign.
Guessand’s unusual journey across two clubs in one season has placed him at the centre of a unique statistical milestone in European football, underlining the increasingly interconnected nature of modern club competitions.
The forward began the 2025–26 season at Aston Villa, where he featured in seven Europa League group-stage matches and scored twice during the early phase of the competition.
Under UEFA eligibility rules, his appearances were sufficient for him to qualify for a winner’s medal after Villa went on to lift the Europa League trophy.
In January, the Ajaccio-born striker moved on loan to Crystal Palace, continuing his European campaign in the Conference League.
There, he made a further six appearances in the knockout stages of the competition, contributing to Palace’s run to the final.
His second half-season involvement culminated in the London club’s 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in the final, securing the Conference League title and completing a remarkable double achievement.
As a result, Guessand will receive medals from both competitions in the same season, a first in UEFA history.
The achievement highlights both his personal adaptability and the increasingly fluid nature of modern loan moves in European football, where players can represent multiple clubs in continental competitions within a single campaign.
For Ivory Coast football, Guessand’s milestone adds another positive note to a growing presence of francophone African players making an impact at the highest levels of European club football.
His journey reflects a wider trend of West African forwards gaining prominence across multiple leagues and competitions.
While Aston Villa’s Europa League triumph provided the foundation of his historic double, his contribution earlier in the season ensured his eligibility for recognition.
His subsequent involvement with Crystal Palace completed the unprecedented scenario.
UEFA competition rules allow players to receive medals if they meet appearance thresholds in earlier rounds, even if they change clubs during the season, a technicality that has now resulted in one of the most unusual records in European football history.
Guessand now joins a small group of African players to have lifted multiple European trophies, but stands alone in achieving both in the same campaign, a feat unlikely to be repeated under current competition structures.
