Oliver Glasner feels “grateful” and “proud” to have overseen three trophies in his two-and-a-half year stint as Crystal Palace manager.
Glasner confirmed mid season that he would leave Selhurst Park at the end of the current campaign, which concluded last night with a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s winner to clinch the 2025-26 UEFA Conference League title.
The Austrian post-match reflected on his tenure with Palace TV which has seen him also guide the Eagles to FA Cup and Community Shield success, as he paid tribute to the players, staff and fans and his winning end to his time at the club.
“I’m just grateful, proud, proud of the players, proud of everyone in the staff, proud of our fans. And yeah, of course, having now this ending with winning the Conference League, it’s just incredible. I’m really emotional.
“I don’t know. I was delighted. I don’t have the right words, but again, it’s fantastic. And all the credit to the players again.”
Glasner also felt that his team crucially earned the win through their positive start to the second half before defensively seeing the match out in a manner worthy of the club after they were denied access to the Europa League this season due to an ownership issue.
“Today was the game we expected. And we had 15 unbelievable good minutes after half-time where we decided the game and then everybody worked hard to get the game over the goal line – and so, great win.
“I think this is what these players deserve. This is what Crystal Palace deserves. And this is what the fans deserve, with one year delay because due to the regulations we were demoted to the Conference League, but nobody complained.
“Nobody in the club, not our fans, nobody of the players. We took it as a challenge and say, ‘OK, then let’s go to win it.’
“It was a lot of hard work from everyone, and now everybody was rewarded. And Crystal Palace gets what Crystal Palace deserved with one year delay.
“And I know everybody will enjoy travelling in Europe again!”
Glasner will leave off the back of three trophies within 12 months but he is thankful to the team and fans for their contributions and support.
“It means a lot. As I said, you know, it’s not just the badge. It’s the people I’m working with.
“And it’s the people, it’s our fans. They’re always so passionate supporting us and they’re always sticking to to us. And then, you know, today when it was a little bit, well, let’s say in the last 15 minutes, you could see players getting a bit fatigued.
“They went all in to support the players. The fans got louder and louder and louder. And this helped us again to get this win.
“We’re all now rewarded with lifting another trophy, with extending the European journey, and this is what everybody deserves.
“So really, thank you very much to every single player. Thank you very much to everyone in the staff. And thank you very much to the fans for supporting us and especially and also me.
“Thank you very much. I told the players today, when we had a meeting in the hotel, because I got many messages from fans when they said ‘thank you for giving me the best day in my life’… and I forwarded it to the players – and I can forward it now to the fans, because it’s not just they who have had the best days in their lives – it’s the same for me.
“You know, sharing these moments with my family is incredible, so this is this is why I’m doing this job – because these emotions, this feeling and sharing it with the ones you love most with the family.
“I have to say thank you that I can be part of it. And yeah, thanks a lot!”
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