- Crystal Palace eyeing Dino Toppmoller
- German coach is in race to replace Oliver Glasner
- His managerial background, strengths and weaknesses
Dino Toppmoller has emerged as a frontrunner in the race to succeed Oliver Glasner as Crystal Palace manager. The German coach is available and appears to be on Steve Parish’s radar as he deals with Glasner’s departure.
According to Sky Sports Germany, Toppmoller is one of the candidates to replace Glasner. The Austrian’s final act as Palace boss came on Wednesday when he guided the Eagles to the UEFA Conference League trophy.
Andoni Iraola appeared to be the South London outfit’s first choice to take over. Reports suggest the departing Bournemouth manager has snubbed the club and looks likely to be headed to Bayer Leverkusen.
Who is Toppmoller?
Toppmoller is an interesting option for Palace because he holds similarities with Glasner. He’s spent most of his managerial career in the Bundesliga, although his first spell came with Luxembourg outfit F91 Dudelange before taking the reins at Belgian side F91 Dudelange.
The 51-year-old assisted Julian Nagelsmann during the Germany manager’s tenure at RB Leipzig. It was at the Red Bull Arena where he started to gain recognition and he followed Nagelsmann to Bayern Munich in 2021.
Toppmoller’s first major role came in the summer of 2023 with Eintracht Frankfurt. Ironically, he succeeded Glasner at the Bundesliga club after the Austrian led the German side to the Europa League.
The German made a promising start at Frankfurt and guided them to a sixth-placed finish in the top-flight. He then built on that with a hugely impressive third-place finish, overseeing Champions League qualification.
Toppmoller earned praise for his tactical flexibility, particularly his success in switching between back-three and back-four systems. His efforts were rewarded with a contract extension in May 2025, which had been set to expire in 2028.
Topmoller record at Frankfurt
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Win % |
| 122 | 52 | 35 | 35 | 224 | 185 | +39 | 42.62% |
Frankfurt struggled this season and performed poorly defensively, which led to a dissapointing run of results in the league. The tide hadn’t turned by the turn of the year and the higher-ups decided to sack him in January.
A risky appointment
There’s a lot to admire about Toppmoller, and he is a viable replacement for Glasner. Just ask Frankfurt who opted to appoint him after the Austrian’s departure.
Stylistically, it’s an easy transition for the team as both prefer aggressive pressing, quick transitions and flexible systems. He could prove to be a good choice, although a lack of Premier League experience will be a concern.
That’s a risk Parish took when appointing Glasner in early 2024, and it paid off. But with Toppmoller, he doesn’t have the resume to suggest he can take the Eagles further than his potential predecessor has.
