Glasner seeks 'perfect ending' to Palace mini golden age with European glory

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner wants to secure a “perfect ending” to his successful two-year reign with victory over Rayo Vallecano in the Europa Conference League final in Leipzig, Germany on Wednesday.

The Austrian will be in the Palace dugout for the last time having overseen an era of unprecedented success at Selhurst Park since arriving in 2024.

He took the club to a first trophy in their 120-year history by winning the FA Cup in his first full campaign.

After beating Liverpool in the Community Shield to start this season, Glasner can sign off by helping the south London club to a maiden European title.

Victory will also take Palace to next season’s Europa League, a year after their right to take part in the competition by winning the FA Cup was stripped by UEFA due to multi-club ownership rules.

‘Perfect ending’

The 51-year-old announced in January he would leave when his contract expired at the end of the campaign in what seemed to be a protest against the club’s transfer policy.

The departure followed a similar pattern in Glasner’s career which played out at Bundesliga clubs Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Sudden success followed by fallout with club bosses and a swift exit.

Despite a run of 12 games without a win until February, Palace resisted the urge to sack Glasner.

Even as supporter sentiment turned on the Austrian — which was not helped by him urging fans to “stay humble. Never forget where you’re coming from” — Palace chairman Steve Parish kept the faith.

Glasner has rewarded Parish and Palace by taking the club to a first European final.

Having guided Frankfurt to a Europa League crown in 2022 and a German Cup final a year later, Glasner seems particularly adept in knockout football.

Speaking with UEFA on Monday, Glasner said victory over Rayo would give his time at Palace a storybook ending.

“I would always feel I had failed if the team had dropped off (after his announcement), because I told them ‘you don’t need to play for a manager’…

“It would be a perfect ending. When you watch a movie, when you read a book, you always hope that there is a happy ending.

“To end this more than two-year journey with another trophy, with the first European trophy in Crystal Palace’s history, that would be incredible.”

Rayo ‘deserve’ their spot

Rayo finished the La Liga season a point behind Getafe, who pipped them to Europa Conference qualification. But Rayo can go one better than their Madrid neighbours by beating Palace, to reach the Europa League for just a second time.

Also playing a European final for the first time, Rayo moved past the better resourced Strasbourg — part of the multi-club BlueCo group alongside Chelsea — to book their ticket to Leipzig.

While underdogs Rayo beat Strasbourg in both legs, Palace fell 2-1 to the Ligue 1 side in the group stages.

“All four teams who play the semi-finals deserve to play the final because they have done so well in the competition, and Vallecano are the same,” Glasner said.

“(Rayo are) very quick, playing in transition, with quick wingers, always able to score goals.

“They don’t concede many,” he added.