Oliver Glasner ends his spell in charge of Crystal Palace by winning the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in Leipzig on Wednesday evening.
The trophy becomes his third as Austrian manager at Selhurst Park since his arrival at the club two years ago – prior to that, both the FA Cup and the Community Shield in 2025 – and sees Palace continue their impressive journey from where they have come in the last two seasons. For so long throughout their history the south Londoners had little to show for their efforts.
In two spells they failed to earn a top half position finishing 15th in both Premier League campaigns but on two occasions carved themselves into European history and on their most recent journey have gone all the way to lift the trophy. The second time ever a Premier League manager has departed their club leaving them with major European silverware after Maurizio Sarri managed to win the Europa League for Chelsea in 2019.
‘Best days of my life’ says Glasner after Palace triumph
Speaking post-match, the Austrian manager of two years thanked his players, stating these had been the “best days of my life.”
“You hear the fans say thank you for the best days of their lives, I say it also,” he said. “I felt my players always trusted me, they believed in me and what we were doing.”
Winning the final ensures Crystal Palace qualify for the Europa League next term, a place that they were denied this season due to multi-club ownership regulations.
“Sometimes you take the long route around, but Crystal Palace should be where Crystal Palace has to be,” he continued.
