Image source: theguardian.com
Oliver Glasner confirmed he will leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season during Friday’s press conference, announcing his departure nearly eight months after leading the club to their first major trophy by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final last summer.
Glasner Announces Crystal Palace Exit Following Guéhi’s Manchester City Move
The Austrian manager revealed his decision comes as captain Marc Guéhi’s transfer to Manchester City is poised to be completed, with the club accepting a £20 million fee for the defender. Glasner disclosed he had informed chairman Steve Parish in October of his desire to pursue a new challenge, despite Palace having set a club record of 19 matches unbeaten at that time stretching back to the previous season.
Glasner expressed frustration at Palace’s failure to reinvest the record £67.5 million fee received from Arsenal for Eberechi Eze, who scored the winning goal against City in the FA Cup final. The manager, who has clashed with directors over transfers at previous clubs Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, criticized Palace’s lack of transfer activity despite their debut European campaign and the last-minute decision to retain Guéhi during the summer window.
The departure announcement follows Palace’s humiliating defeat to non-league Macclesfield and comes during a run of nine games without a win that has seen the club plummet down the table. Glasner, who has expressed ambition to manage a Champions League club again after reaching the last 16 with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023, said he hoped the announcement could inspire a turnaround in the team’s fortunes.
Palace face uncertainty over several FA Cup-winning squad members, with Jean-Philippe Mateta wanted by Juventus and players including Adam Wharton, Daniel Muñoz and Daichi Kamada coveted by bigger clubs. The club has reportedly looked at Getafe’s José Bordalás and Rayo Vallecano’s Iñigo Pérez as potential successors, while Glasner has been linked with the manager’s job at Manchester United.
Glasner explained his preference for announcing the departure earlier, stating he spoke with Parish about revealing the decision before the transfer window to avoid speculation. “I wanted to maybe announce it before the transfer window because of these rumours about my decision being influenced, but we decided it wasn’t the best moment,” the manager said during Friday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Sunderland.
