Glasner's larger-than-life Treble with until-then trophyless Eagles
.jpeg)
Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 28.05.26. | 10:46
Palace had never won a major trophy for 120 years. And then came the Austrian miracle maker
Single-handedly - an adverb meaning to accomplish something entirely on your own, without any help or assistance from others. It is used to highlight when an individual manages a difficult task or achieves a significant result independently.
That's what the dictionary says, and among the synonyms of this adverb, one name stands out - Oliver Glasner. OK, his name is obviously not in any dictionary for real, but what the Austrian tactician has done with Crystal Palace over the last two years is the closest you can get to the actual description of that word.
.jpg)
Founded 120 years ago in London, the Eagles hadn't won a single major trophy before Glasner's arrival in February 2024. Today, on the day of his departure, they've got three - the FA Cup, Community Shield and the UEFA Conference League! Not too bad, isn't it...
Although it was announced long ago that Glasner would leave Selhurst Park after the ECL final against Rayo Vallecano, the 51-year-old made sure he took the Eagles to their first-ever European trophy in their debut season in continental competitions.
Some achievement that is!
It becomes even more authentic when you find out the true reason behind his Palace departure. It's not a lucrative offer from some big European side or anything like that - it's actually the clash with the club's chairman and the intense mental and physical toll of an unrelenting 59-game season.
"He has got to be one of the best managers Crystal Palace have ever had," said Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.
"He has made a massive difference in how the club looks at competitions. We are not just looking to stay in the Premier League and be in Europe, we are looking to win and be as high as possible."
And Glasner did it all in such a short span. He first stunned Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in the FA Cup final in 2025, before coming from behind to top then-Premier League champion Liverpool in the Community Shield in the pre-season opener. However, things didn't go smoothly in the Premier League afterwards, as Palace were caught in a 12-game winless run across all competitions between December 2025 and January 2026. They even failed to finish the Conference League group stage in the top eight, thus entering the playoffs.
Moreover, they were involved in one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history when non-league Macclesfield knocked them out in January.
Less than two weeks later, Glasner announced he would leave the club at the end of the campaign.
Some say that the decision came after Palace agreed to sell Marc Guehi to Manchester City midway through the season, after Eberechi Eze had joined Arsenal in the previous transfer window.
This earthquake didn't tear Palace apart as many expected, as they overcame difficulties to find their way to the Conference League finals and into the safe zone in the EPL.
"Right now, I can't even believe it is the last game," said Glasner after full-time on Wednesday. "It is a good chapter to read in the Crystal Palace book, but other good chapters will follow."