Oliver Glasner has called on Crystal Palace to win the Conference League final on Wednesday night, securing the Europa League place they were denied this season due to Uefa's multi-club ownership rules. The Eagles were demoted from the Europa League after Uefa ruled that John Textor had a controlling interest in both Palace and Lyon, who also qualified. Palace face Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig in what will be Glasner's final match in charge.
The Austrian, who led Palace to the Community Shield in August and won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, confirmed his departure in January. On Tuesday, he revealed that players held a farewell party for him on Monday, where he urged them to win the final and earn a Europa League berth for next season. 'I said for me that the best thing would be of course winning tomorrow because then the players would be in the Europa League next year and then we get what we should have got this year,' Glasner said.
Palace are hopeful of appointing Andoni Iraola as Glasner's replacement, though the outgoing Bournemouth manager also has interest from Milan and Bayer Leverkusen. Pierre Sage of Lens is a contender if Iraola declines. Captain Dean Henderson said losing Glasner would be 'a huge miss' and praised the bond the team has built with supporters. More than 15,000 Palace fans are expected in Leipzig.
Adam Wharton and Chris Richards trained on Tuesday but may not start. Rayo Vallecano manager Iñigo Pérez, formerly Iraola's assistant, said his side operates on a fifth of Palace's budget but emphasised the importance of identity. 'For me, Crystal Palace is a dream rival,' he said. 'Maintaining our identity will be the right approach.'
