Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has confirmed there will be no emotional U-turn on Oliver Glasner's future, despite the Austrian delivering a Conference League triumph in his final match in charge. Speaking after the Eagles' 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig, Parish praised Glasner but insisted the manager's departure is final.
Parish on Glasner's Departure
Parish stated: "It's incredible, I'm overjoyed for everybody. But Oliver's not going to stay, no, he's not going to stay on. Listen, it's a great ending, it's a happy ending. We're absolutely thrilled and I'm thrilled for him because he's worked so hard." He added: "There's a lot of pressure on everybody, and sometimes pressure makes diamonds, and that's what we did tonight. It was a big effort from everyone."
Succession Plans
Andoni Iraola, who is set to leave Bournemouth despite securing Europa League qualification, remains Palace's top managerial target. The Eagles are ready to offer him significant influence on transfer matters to fend off interest from AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen. Alternative candidates include Coupe de France-winning Lens boss Pierre Sage and Frank Lampard.
Parish acknowledged the victory aids the club's appeal: "Tonight's tonight, right? Tomorrow, we'll worry about the future. Obviously, we've been doing things. There's no doubt this helps, right? Now the club has got more to offer, this helps with everything."
UEFA Relations and Player Contracts
Parish, who previously labelled UEFA's decision to demote Palace to the Conference League as "a terrible injustice," now feels bridges have been built. He sat next to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin at the Red Bull Arena and said: "He's a great guy, he was very nice. We had a nice dinner last night. In the end, everything worked out. He was a good guy."
Regarding player contracts, Daichi Kamada's situation is a priority. The Japan international, who won the Europa League under Glasner at Eintracht Frankfurt, is set to become a free agent this summer. Meanwhile, the club has triggered a one-year option to extend Jefferson Lerma's stay at Selhurst Park.
