palace

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has signed a “legally binding contract” to buy John Textor’s 43% stake in Crystal Palace in a deal believed to be worth close to £190m.

Palace confirmed the news in a statement on Monday, but it has yet to be announced whether it boosts the club’s fight to be cleared to play in next season’s Europa League.

Palace said the deal is pending approval from the Premier League and Women’s Super League.

“We do not envisage any issues and look forward to welcoming Woody as a partner and director of the club,” the south London club added.

“We would like to go on record to thank John Textor for his contribution over the past four years and wish him every success for the future.”

Eagle Football Holdings – the multi-club company owned by Textor – bought a stake in Palace in 2021 for around £90m.

Johnson, like any such major investor, will have to pass the Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test.

It is understood that the American businessman indicated he can transfer the funds quickly.

This is believed to have been a crucial factor in why his offer was favoured ahead of two other interested parties, given the predicament in which Palace find themselves with European football’s governing body Uefa regarding their 2025-26 Europa League entry.

Palace could lose their spot in Europe, earned by winning last season’s FA Cup, on the basis of Textor’s perceived involvement at Selhurst Park.

Uefa has been considering whether Palace breach its rules about multiple teams under one multi-club ownership structure competing in the same European competition.

This is because Textor has a stake in French club Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League.

Whether the process of Textor selling his stake in Palace influences Uefa’s final decision remains to be seen.

But it does provide an indication the businessman is open to severing ties with Palace, an eventual scenario that could allow the Premier League club entry into the Europa League.

The other two parties in the running are unconfirmed but well-placed sources have indicated that a globally-renowned entertainment giant based in Florida have shown an interest, while another consortium that includes the NBA star Jimmy Butler also have a reported interest.

Investment vehicle Sportsbank – who were named as the preferred bidder to buy into Eagle at a time Textor was looking for investment – have also shown an interest in making an offer.

However, it is claimed that it would have taken around a month for Sportsbank to draw the financial contributions from their investors from the Middle East and the US which would not suit Textor’s need for a quick sale to help aid Palace’s case with Uefa.

Sources claim that Johnson is best placed among the interested parties to pass the Premier League’s owner’s and directors test given his estimated £3.39bn fortune and his status as globally-renowned businessman. He is the heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company.

Uefa are expected to make a decision on whether Palace can participate in the Europa League by the end of June.

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DONALD Trump’s luxury “sky Palace” gifted to him by Qatar will cost a few billion dollars, says the President of Emirates airline.

The US government now faces a “Herculean task” to transform the huge Boeing 747-8 into a new Air Force One fit for a president, warns Sir Tim Clark.

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President Trump, 78, sparked concerns earlier this month with his willingness to accept the plush flying mansion from the Qatari royal family.

The giant gift, worth an estimated $400m (£300m), has raised several ethical questions about if the US leader should be allowed to accept such expensive goods from other states.

But despite the controversy, Trump gladly took the 13-year-old mega jet back to Washington with him.

He now plans to make it part of his Air Force One fleet alongside two other Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets.

They have been operational since 1990 but are now said to be not up to scratch compared to modern planes such as Qatar‘s 747-8.

In order for it to become a fully fledged member of the president’s aviation arsenal however, it will need to go through some serious work.

It would have to be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before ever ferrying around Trump.

And significant retrofitting and clearance from security officials would be required.

Sir Tim, president of Emirates, told Piers Morgan Uncensored that President Trump’s flashy plans may cost a “couple of billion dollars”.

He explained to Piers: “I think you’re talking a couple of billion dollars to start with.

“Just roll back a little bit and look at what it takes for us to convert our 777s – from the old to the new – because we haven’t got the Boeing’s coming in at the pace we want them so we’re having to reconfigure all of them.”

The top aviation boss said trying to fix up all the jets as an airline has been an extremely tough task.

Tim admitted to “pulling his hair out” over the regulators and the tiny tweaks that have to be made to modernise a plane of that size and stature.

And he believes the US government will face an even trickier – and much more expensive – battle to get the gifted plane ready for presidential trips.

He said: “It’s a Herculean task, make no mistake about it.

“Whether President Trump will adapt fully, this present from Qatar, to an Air Force One I doubt it, but he’ll certainly get a lot of it done.”

Aviation specialist Jeff Wise also told The Sun that he expects the Air Force One replacement to take years and need billions of dollars pumped into the project to make the jet viable.

Trump’s Air Force One jets currently in use come with dozens of specialised security features.

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These include armoured glass and plating, on board flares to confuse enemy missiles, mirror-ball defences and even an electric jamming system.

Another unique yet needed element is an electromagnetic shield for nuclear explosions.

This has to be on a presidential plane as the leader of Washington can actually launch a nuke from the aircraft.

But the new Qatari jet lacks most of these security features.

Instead, the lavish aeroplane boasts a luxurious interior, featuring spacious suites and rooms with ornate interior decoration.

It also has glittering gold-coloured furnishings and hallways that echo Trump’s well-know interior design preferences.

The president is believed to have spent an hour inspecting the plan when when it was parked at West Palm Beach International Airport back in February.

The luxury Boeing was once even listed for a whopping $400 million, according to the Business Jet Traveler.

During his first stint in office, Trump had ordered two new Air Force One jumbo jets from Boeing to replace the pair that have been in service since George H. W. Bush’s presidency.

But the Boeing contract has faced delays, and reports suggest the new plans would not be ready until after Trump leaves the Oval Office.

Fears Trump’s new Air Force One replacement is vulnerable to devastating HACKS – or worse

By Chief Foreign Reporter, Katie Davis

A LAVISH jumbo jet Donald Trump plans to receive from Qatar will be vulnerable to hacking, an expert has warned.

The Boeing 747 – dubbed a “palace in the sky” – could even be blasted out the sky, aviation specialist Jeff Wise believes.

He fears Trump may bypass necessary measures to save time and money – which could therefore invite hacking or a devastating assassination attempt.

Wise told The Sun: “This Air Force One would be a major intelligence target for any adversary nation or even our allies, because allies love to spy on each other.

“The United States is being given this albatross that they are going to have to spend billions of dollars on to fix up for the personal use of Trump.

“If your job is to protect the President of the United States or if your job is to protect the secrets of the United States, then this is a massive headache for you.

“This is a plane that does not have secure communications and the anti-missiles defence systems that a normal Air Force One has. It’s just wide open.

“This is an administration that is completely irresponsible in the way they use their personal devices. They’re using these off-brand apps to communicate. It’s just a hacker’s dream.”

Wise continued: “I would say an increasing number of people would like to target Air Force One. 

“America’s list of enemies is growing longer and longer as we become an increasingly horrible nation, from the Houthis to the Iranians to the Russians.”

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City need to get over this disappointment quickly because they have got a massive Premier League game against Bournemouth on Tuesday.

As things stand they are in sixth place and out of the Champions League places, so they really need to win it – in effect, it’s another cup final for them.

Whether they finish in the top five or not, however, I can see there being a big turnover of players in Pep’s squad over the summer.

We know Kevin de Bruyne is leaving and the writing appears to be on the wall for Jack Grealish as well – Guardiola preferred to bring a young kid, Claudio Echeverri, off the bench for his debut when he was desperate for a goal against Palace, rather than send on Grealish, a £100m player.

There could be a lot of other changes too, and there has to be really. This City team has been amazing but they have come to the end of their period of dominance and some fresh faces are needed to get them challenging for the Premier League title again.

Even if they spend big and bring a few players in, I am not sure whether they can get back to the levels they reached under Guardiola in the past few seasons, when they were the outstanding team in the country.

But some kind of improvement is clearly needed. Considering the heights they have hit, for them to be in sixth place with two games to go and without a trophy for the first time since 2016-17 has already made this a very poor season by their high standards.

Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan at Wembley.

Crystal Palace win their first major trophy by beating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley stadium.

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze sparked a massive south London party by scoring the only goal to win the FA Cup 1-0 against Manchester City and claim the club’s first major trophy in their history.

Local man Eze volleyed in after 16 minutes, former Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson performed heroics in the Palace goal, and City contrived to waste a sack-load of chances, including a penalty, in an enthralling final on Saturday.

After England forward Eze, whose goals in the last eight and semis fired his team into the final for the third time, scored completely against the run of play, Palace had to survive a City siege to spark wild celebrations.

Omar Marmoush had a first-half penalty saved by Henderson as City lost in the Cup final for a second successive season, summing up a harrowing campaign in which they have been dethroned as the powerhouse of English football and will go without a domestic trophy for the first time since 2016-17.

For Palace’s massed ranks decked in purple and blue, it was a day of unbridled joy as Oliver Glasner’s team rode their luck to make it third time lucky after suffering defeats in their previous two FA Cup final appearances in 1990 and 2016.

Glasner, who took charge of the club 15 months ago, becomes the first Austrian coach to win the FA Cup.

City have been a pale imitation of the side that has dominated the English game for most of the past decade.

But the way they began at Wembley suggested that Pep Guardiola’s side were determined to prove that talk of their demise had been greatly exaggerated.

Having picked an ultra-attacking lineup shorn of defensive midfielders, City hemmed Palace deep inside their own half for the opening 15 minutes with Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings on what was his last Wembley appearance in City’s colours.

His lofted ball picked out Erling Haaland, whose stretching effort at the far post was brilliantly saved by Henderson, who also shortly afterwards beat out Josko Gvardiol’s header.

Palace finally broke the siege, and in their first foray beyond the centre circle, they ripped through City’s lines.

Jean-Philippe Mateta played in Daniel Munoz, and his cross was met by Eze, who flashed a first-time volley past Stefan Ortega to provoke an eruption of noise from the Palace fans.

Ismaila Sarr nearly made it 2-0, but Ortega saved, and Palace’s hearts were in their mouths when Henderson appeared to have handled the ball outside his area under pressure from Haaland, but a subsequent VAR check spared him a possible red card.

There was no escape for Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell when he tripped Bernardo Silva, and referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot. Surprisingly, Haaland did not take it and instead Omar Marmoush stepped forward for his first penalty since joining City in January, but his effort lacked conviction and Henderson dived to his right to save.

Henderson made a flying save to keep out Jeremy Doku’s curling effort as Palace reached half-time ahead despite having only 19 percent of possession.

Munoz thought he had made it 2-0 just past the hour mark, but a lengthy VAR check ruled his effort out for offside.

Seven-time winners City went close numerous times after the break, with Henderson and his defenders performing heroics to preserve Palace’s lead.

A huge groan went up from the Palace fans as 10 minutes of stoppage time, but after more close shaves and nail-biting, the final whistle sounded and the club’s anthem Glad All Over bellowed around the stadium.

CRYSTAL PALACE have made history after beating Manchester City in a pulsating FA Cup final.

Eberechi Eze was the Eagles’ hero as Oliver Glasner’s men held on for a dramatic 1-0 win.

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It sealed Palace’s first-ever domestic major trophy in their 119-year history.

Eze lashed the underdogs ahead against the run of play in the first half, finishing beautifully from a Daniel Munoz cross.

Dean Henderson was inspired in the Palace goal, making multiple superb saves – including from Omar Marmoush’s penalty.

But there was a question on whether he should have remained on the field after appearing to handle outside the box.

In the end, Palace secured a deserved win through a superb rearguard action and some highlight performances.

Here’s how SunSport’s Dan King rated Glasner’s history makers at Wembley.

Dean Henderson – 9

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Early saves from Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol.

Should not have been on pitch to save Omar Marmoush’s penalty, having somehow escaped a red card for earlier handball.

Made another good stop from Jeremy Doku.

Less busy in second half until two late saves from Echeverri.

Marc Guehi – 8

A captain’s performance as part of Palace’s three-man defence until forced off.

Absolutely crucial header under his own crossbar after a Henderson save.

Took a ball hard in the face and had to leave field.

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Maxence Lacroix – 7

Least impressive of the centre backs but still solid enough as Palace stood firm in the first half.

Important header away from Haaland early in the second and more responsibility after Guehi went off.

Kept Haaland pretty quiet.

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Chris Richards – 9

Calm and composed under City pressure.

Always seemed to be in the right place to tidy up when attacks broke down.

Won some important headers. and made some important interventions.

Excellent partnership with Munoz.

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Tyrick Mitchell – 7

Played his part in withstanding the City siege.

Seemed to have undone all his and Palace’s good work with challenge on Silva that conceded the penalty.

But kept his head well and dealt well with Savinho.

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Daniel Munoz – 9

Kept his cool defending in the box, unlike Mitchell, making important challenge on Nico O’Reilly in second half.

Brilliant cross for Eze goal and another which Sarr almost converted.

Had goal rightly ruled out for offside in build-up.

Tireless display.

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Adam Wharton – 8

Very disciplined performance without the ball, holding his position and choosing moments well to make challenges.

Some decent passes, too, when the time was right.

Easy to see why City and others want him.

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Daichi Kamada – 8

Plenty of energy right from the start, albeit not always with the outcome he would have wanted.

Passing improved as the game went on and made an excellent challenge on Silva early in the second half.

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Ismaila Sarr – 6

Was not always pressing as high as Glasner wanted and not offering much of an outlet when Palace did regain the ball.

Could have made it 2-0 but didn’t quite catch his first-half shot.

Did not really improve after break. 

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Eberechi Eze – 7

Fine volleyed goal was probably his first meaningful contribution.

Was not defending as boss Glasner wanted and unable to impose himself in final third.

Fierce effort that was blocked was only moment of second half.

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Jean-Philippe Mateta – 7

Found Munoz out wide in the build-up to opening goal but otherwise pretty ineffective, resorting to some play-acting in the first half.

Won the odd header as Palace cleared their lines in second half but a frustrating day.

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Substitutes

Jefferson Lerma (for Guehi, 61) – Had filled in at centre back before but never in such circumstances. Did himself and the club proud with a nerveless half hour: 7

Eddie Nketiah (for Mateta, 78) – Needed to offer more than the man he had replaced and just about did, at least by buying fouls: 6

Will Hughes (for Wharton, 87) – The cult hero came on to try to see the game out: 6

CRYSTAL PALACE are taking on Manchester City in a stunning FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium!

The Eagles headed into the match on the back of a mixed season in the league, but have ended the campaign in good form.

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Palace boss Oliver Glasner has had a huge impact on the side since his arrival at Selhurst Park in February 2024.

Glasner said ahead of the FA Cup final: “I’m very pleased. Not just with the improvements, but I think with the environment we have created here at the training ground and also in the club.

“We are very ambitious, everyone is working very hard to progress, and this is the main reason why we are where we are now at the end of the season.

FA CUP FINAL LIVE – LATEST UPDATES

“We are really settled in mid-table and looking at the teams in front of us more than looking at the teams who are behind us.

“We are also playing the FA Cup final and very pleased with what has happened in the last 15-16 months.”

Have Crystal Palace ever won a trophy?

Crystal Palace won the Second Division twice in their history – in 1979 and in 1994.

They have also been promoted via the playoffs four times – 1989, 1997, 2004 and in 2013.

However, what is considered a top-flight honour has eluded the club so far.

While the club have now reached three FA Cup finals, including taking Manchester United to a replay in 1990.

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United won 1-0 in the replay after the original clash ended in a 3-3 draw.

Before their final in 2025, the last time Palace were in an FA Cup final was in 2016.

Palace also played United that day, but lost 2-1 after extra-time in a match famed for manager Alan Pardew’s dance with the side 1-0 up.

Winning the FA Cup today will send The Eagles into the Europe.

The last and only time they played in Europe was the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup, but were knocked out in the third round to Turkish side Samsunspor.

Who: Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
What: English FA Cup final
Where: Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom
When: Saturday at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)

Follow Al Jazeera Sport‘s live text and photo commentary stream.

Manchester City and Crystal Palace go head-to-head for the FA Cup in a final that has captured the imagination the world over since its inception.

English football’s showpiece cup final has been a tale of a team from any level – even non-professional – rising to the top to take down the giants of the game.

The Eagles of South London are no minnows in this story, but their opponents are as big as they come in the global game.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a showdown that carries great weight for both teams in the world’s oldest cup competition.

Why is the FA Cup so important to both finalists?

History beckons for Crystal Palace against a Manchester City side that have one final shot at avoiding a rare trophyless season under Pep Guardiola.

Twice FA Cup runners-up, Palace have never won a major trophy in their 119-year history.

The Eagles sense this may finally be their time up against a City side far from their former glories of Guardiola’s trophy-laden reign.

What is Crystal Palace’s form?

Palace warmed up for the Wembley showpiece by cruising to a 2-0 win at Tottenham last weekend to equal their record of 49 Premier League points with two games of the season to spare.

The south London club finished in the top 10 for the first time in the Premier League era last season after just a few months under Oliver Glasner.

Another top-half finish looks unlikely, but progress has continued under the Austrian thanks to their FA Cup heroics, including a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Champions League quarterfinalists Aston Villa in the last four.

How @CPFC reached the #EmiratesFACup Final 🦅 pic.twitter.com/w81rxlyzdZ

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 16, 2025

Who is Crystal Palace’s key player?

Eberechi Eze is the main man for City to fear with five goals in his last four games.

But he is one of just four England internationals that reached the final of Euro 2024 likely to start for Palace on Saturday alongside Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton.

“It means everything,” said Eze on the prospect of delivering the club’s first taste of silverware.

“We know what it means to the fans, to the club. We’re going to give everything that we’ve got to put ourselves in the best position.

“We’re confident. We know that we’ve just got to do what we do and be the best version of ourselves, and we’ve got the chance of beating any team.”

Victory would also secure entry to one of Europe’s major club competitions for the first time in Palace’s history, with a place in the Europa League at stake.

What is Man City’s form?

City’s laboured display in drawing a blank at bottom-of-the-table Southampton last weekend gives Palace even more reason to believe they can lift the cup.

However, Guardiola’s men are unbeaten in 10 games, including a 5-2 demolition of Palace in the Premier League last month despite falling 2-0 behind.

Will this be De Bruyne’s dream send-off?

City’s fightback at the Etihad Stadium in the last encounter between the clubs was prompted by Kevin De Bruyne rolling back the years.

The Belgian has just three games left as a City player after a glorious decade in Manchester and will be aiming to add one more to his 14 major honours with the club.

“He has had an incredible time at Manchester City,” said City’s top scorer Erling Haaland.

“It is ridiculous how many trophies he has won. Hopefully he will get one more trophy.”

Manchester City’s road to the #EmiratesFACup Final 🩵 pic.twitter.com/SJuPAXbyyE

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 14, 2025

Why has City’s season been ‘horrendous’?

After an unprecedented four consecutive English top-flight titles, City find themselves battling just to secure a top-five Premier League finish and a place in next season’s Champions League.

Anything other than victory would cap what Haaland described as a “horrendous” campaign for a squad of serial winners.

City have not ended a season without a trophy since Guardiola’s first at the club in 2016/17.

“It is a good habit to reach Wembley and always important to win trophies. We have the FA Cup final to play for and in a horrific season we still managed to do this,” added the Norwegian.

What was Palace’s finest FA Cup moment?

Palace’s extraordinary and eventually heartbreaking 1990 campaign was their finest hour in the competition.

The semifinals and final(s) that year were arguably the most dramatic in the competition’s long and storied history and remain the emotional high and low point of every Palace fan who watched them.

Palace were struggling in the top flight after promotion and had been humiliated 9-0 by Liverpool early in the season.

In the Cup they were hardly pulling up trees either, beating lower league Portsmouth, Huddersfield Town, Rochdale and Cambridge United to reach the semifinals for the first time since they lost to Southampton as a third division team in 1976.

Facing runaway champions-elect and FA Cup holders Liverpool again in the semis look an insurmountable barrier and an Ian Rush goal had the Reds ahead at halftime at Villa Park.

Things then went crazy as Mark Bright and Gary O’Reilly gave Palace a shock lead. Two goals in two minutes put Liverpool back in front, only for Andy Gray to stun the odds-on favourites in the 88th minute to force extra time.

Amazingly, it was Palace who snatched victory in the 109th minute via Alan Pardew, who would later manage the club.

The cup final itself, against Manchester United, went to a replay after a stunning 3-3 draw in the first encounter.

United won the next match 1-0 with a goal from defender Lee Martin, which handed a young manager by the name of Alex Ferguson his first trophy as boss of the Red Devils.

How many FA Cups have City won?

City are seven-time winners of the cup, with their first victory coming in 1904 against Bolton Wanderers.

Their last win was a 2-1 victory against their fierce rivals Manchester United in 2023.

Head-to-head

This is the 74th meeting between the two teams in a fixture dating back to 1921.

Palace were 2-0 winners in an FA Cup meeting in the third round that year.

City stormed back in the next meeting between the clubs – once again in the FA Cup – beating Palace 11-4 in February 1926.

Overall, City have claimed the spoils on 39 occasions and the Eagles soaring to victory after 17 of the meetings.

Palace haven’t recorded a win in their last seven encounters with City, who have won four in that time.

Man City team news

Haaland is expected to start after making his comeback from six weeks out injured at Southampton last weekend.

Rodri continues his slow return to full fitness, but with an eye on the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in June, the cup final appears to have come too soon for a start.

Crystal Palace team news

Midfielder Adam Wharton has returned to full fitness following an ankle injury.

It means the Eagles have a fully fit squad to choose from.

THIS pair of diehard Crystal Palace fans have spent £20,000 to get home from a US holiday for the FA Cup final before flying back out. 

The side’s Wembley clash against Manchester City on May 17 falls three days into Mark and Anna Newlands’ ten-day trip to New York. 

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The couple booked it months ago for a cousin’s birthday before the Eagles got to the final.

So they have bought flights to get back the day before and will return to the US the day after. 

Mark said they would miss the big birthday but their relatives understood. 

The retired risk manager, 61, from Newbury, Berks, said: “The club is in my DNA.

“We have to be there.

“I’m not bothered if this is sensible or not. It’ll be worth every penny.” 

Anna, 62, is just as devoted to the South London club and did not hesitate when Mark suggested the plan. 

The pair, pictured at the semi-final win over Aston Villa, hope it will be third time lucky after Palace lost their two previous finals. 

The couple’s son James, also a Palace season ticket holder, is attending the final although he is not on the New York trip — while their daughter Alice will stay in the Big Apple. 

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