Vinícius Jr and Racism in Lisbon, Galatasaray Shock Juventus, and Crystal Palace Staying Humble: European Nights 02/24/26

European Nights returns as Rog and Rory Smith look ahead to the second legs of the Champions League knockout playoff round. They begin in Lisbon, where alleged racist abuse directed at Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s game against Benfica led to a stoppage and sparks a wider conversation about accountability, institutional response, and whether football is doing enough to protect its players. Then it’s on to Istanbul, where Galatasaray’s emphatic win over Juventus spotlights Turkish spending power and deepens concerns about the broader state of Italian football. Finally, they turn to the Europa Conference League, where Crystal Palace were held to a draw by HŠK Zrinjski Mostar and Oliver Glasner’s call for fans to “stay humble” becomes part of the conversation after the first leg. Plus, Rory delivers his latest continental culinary recommendation from Istanbul.

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