Oliver Glasner, manager of Bundesliga side Crystal Palace, declared he would be leaving the club at the end of his contract. His contract only runs through the end of this season. The 51-year-old Austrian-born manager was interviewed by Palace Chairman Steve Parish in the international break in October. In the end, they both recognized that his future lay elsewhere and amicably agreed to go their separate ways.
Glasner’s spell at Crystal Palace would be a success. On the pitch, he’s led the team to an impressive second-place position on the league table. In spite of his incredible achievements, he has announced unequivocally that he will not be with the club beyond this season. He would like to put that behind him.
“A decision has already been taken, months ago. I had a meeting with Steve [Parish] in October, the international break,” – Oliver Glasner
In the same conversation, Glasner stated, “We had a very long talk, and I told him I will not sign a new contract. We agreed at the time, it was the best to keep it between us. It’s the best that we could do, and keep it confidential for three months.” Both he and Parish have looked out for the best interests of Crystal Palace during this turbulent transitional period.
Current Standings and Future Challenges
Currently, Crystal Palace are 13th in the league table with 28 points from 21 games played. With an important reauthorization on the short-term horizon, Glasner made it clear that he wants clarity on his future. He confirmed that both he and Parish have the club’s best interests at heart in terms of where it goes in future.
Aside from all of these exciting advancements, Glasner has a hard battle ahead. In that next match against Sunderland, he won’t have defender Marc Guehi at his disposal. Guehi is of course now being linked every day to a massive transfer to Manchester City. While Glasner was unable to officially confirm the agreement, he intimated that the acquisition is all but finalized.
“I can’t confirm the club because it is not done, but is in the final stages, and the result is Marc doesn’t play tomorrow for us,” – Oliver Glasner
After losing key players such as Guehi, Crystal Palace and its fans are left in a tough space as they move through the final fixtures of the season.
Looking Ahead
Though his own future might be up in the air, with Guehi soon to be a Chelsea player, Glasner is committed to doing his job at Palace. He wrote that he wanted both continuity and achievement for the club amid what could prove to be a roiling time.
