Oliver Glasner called his Crystal Palace tenure “a good chapter” in his managerial career after ending his reign with a UEFA Conference League. The Austrian has bid farewell in fairytale fashion, delivering the club its first-ever European trophy.
There were so many stories heading into tonight’s final, but Glasner’s departure was the main one. The question had been whether the 51-year-old could guide the Eagles to European glory on their first attempt.
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half winner ensured Glasner’s tenure ended with a third major trophy. He has now become the first manager in the club’s history to win a European title, along with the FA Cup and Community Shield.
Every word from Glasner
Glasner celebrated with his players after the game, which included a belly slide orchestrated by Daichi Kamada. He posed for photos with his team and chairman Steve Parish, with whom he’s been extremely close throughout his reign.
Finally, the Austrian spoke to TNT Sports about the final and ending his spell as Palace boss with the European trophy. He said:
“Thank you very much, but I have to forward it to the players, to the team, because it was a game how we expected it, but I think we played incredible 15 minutes after half time. We scored the goal and could have decided it and then at the end we defended so well. A fantastic evening and this group of players, these fans and this club deserve to win the Conference League and that’s why I’m really pleased tonight.
Glasner insisted he’s not just coach of this Palace team but part of the group:
“I see myself as part of this group because I always say as a manager you can’t do anything alone. You need great staff behind you but especially you need great football players and great people and this is what this group is because they always stick together and work hard.”
He added:
“This is what we started with from day one to create a mindset where everything is possible if we work hard. If you invest in training and that’s just my mindset in life. If you invest in something, you get something better. And in your job, in sports, your family, your friends and your kids and your kids and today it paid off.”
Glasner made sure to highlight the work that’s gone into Palace’s successful era under his management. That includes players working hard on the training pitch:
“Fantastic staff and providing everything the players need but at the end its the players’ responsibility. They have to take advantage of everything you get offered and they are really. I remember I think it was on Monday it was 34 degrees in London, we had a a Sunday game against Arsenal and I think I left in 5 in the afternoon and JP Mateta and T Mitchell just came back from the cryp which just shows the mindset of these players. They are really investing so much and that’s why we can lift another trophy.”
Touching on what ending his Palace reigns mean, he said:
“A lot (this chapter has meant) And I told the players I think it was today in the meeting because we were hear alot from the fans when they say thank you to us for giving them the best day of their lives and their emotions.”
He continued:
“I said thank you to the players because it’s the same for me so the players, our fans, they give me and my family who were here today also incredible days in my life and that’s what I really appreciate and that they always listening, they were always supporting me and trusted in me. They worked so hard for getting this and I can be very demanding as everybody knows this.”
Glasner thanked the fans and explained that his players have got what they deserve:
“Huge thank you to the players, huge thank you to everyone in the staff who supported me and of course, a huge thank you to our fans who were incredible tonight.”
“Other chapters will follow”
“Right now, I can’t even believe that this was the last game, but yes, I took this decision, and it’s a chapter, it’s a good chapter to read in the Crystal Palace book. Other chapters will follow, and it’s the same as what I said to the players: ” Get now what you deserve after winning the FA Cup, now it’s the (Conference) League’.
He added:
“So I think now, after it was delayed, the club, the fans, the players, they get what they deserve after winning the (Conference) League. So sometimes, okay, you have to take a round trip, and now we are there, and Crystal Palace is where it should be.”
Glasner leaves Palace as the most successful manager in the club’s history. He does so after guiding the Eagles to a Conference League trophy and qualifying for the Europa League.
