Following their historic Conference League triumph against Rayo Vallecano, Oliver Glasner will depart the club with Palace having reportedly already agreed a deal with a top-class manager to replace him.
On Wednesday (27 May), The Eagles became European Champions beating La Liga side Rayo Vallecano thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s strike, bagging their second trophy in two years under Glasner.
The final in Leipzig marked the culmination of a historic period, with the Austrian coach departing the club having confirmed he would do so this summer.
Who will replace Glasner at Palace?
Several coaches have been linked with succeeding Glasner at Selhurst Park. Former Brentford and Spurs boss Thomas Frank is among the contenders, as is Coventry head coach Frank Lampard.
While the celebrations will no doubt continue for some time yet, Palace’s board, particularly co-owner and chairman Steve Parish would have been planning for the future, with the Eagles set to compete in the Europa League next season.
Bolstering the squad will be essential for the club, as will keeping hold of stars linked with moves away - Adam Wharton, for example, who is linked with a move to Liverpool stands out. Both are vital for what promises to be an intense fixture schedule next season.
The club must, however, first appoint Glasner’s successor. The question remains: who will that be?
Andoni Iraola Emerges as Leading Candidate for Palace Role
According to reports from Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has effectively rejected the opportunity to become AC Milan manager in favour of taking charge at Selhurst Park.
The outlet reports: “Iraola has been pursued by other clubs in recent weeks. Leverkusen in Germany. Benfica in Portugal. Crystal Palace in the Premier League. The latter has immediately become AC Milan’s biggest rival.”
Iraola is said to be unconvinced the project in Milan, whilst reports also suggest Palace would provide a larger pot of money to spend on reshaping the squad this summer. It has also been reported today that the Spaniard is monitoring the situation at Liverpool.
According to SPORT, Palace have made a multi-million-pound offer for the Basque coach after making initial contact with an agreement seemingly imminent.
At Bournemouth, Iraola has a record of 48 wins, 38 draws and 41 losses in 127 matches on the South-West Coast. The 43-year-old led the Cherries to a record 6th-place finish and in doing so, qualified for the Europa League.
Steve Parish Reacts After Palace’s Historic European Triumph
Following last night’s triumph, co-owner Parish reflected on his club’s ‘incredible achievement’; but did not get drawn into who will be leading the team in the forthcoming season.
“Even to be in Europe, it’s so good, travelling around,” he told TNT Sports. “Then to come and win it is just incredible. All the ups and downs we’ve had this season, it’s just brilliant to get to this point. Reaching the Europa League, where we deserve to be in the end, just shows you that sometimes the good guys win.
He continued: “To win an FA Cup, a Community Shield and a European title at the first time of asking is an incredible achievement. It means everything. When I bought the club, I wasn’t sure we’d ever play in Europe, let alone win a trophy. It’s all of our dreams come true. Now we’ve had a taste of it, we want to keep it going.
“We have gone up a level, and we have to try and stay there. It’s not easy. Everybody wants to win. We have our work cut out in the summer, but right now we’ll take a week and enjoy it.”
Palace now face one of the most important summers in the club’s modern history. After finally breaking through into European football and lifting continental silverware, expectations around the club have changed dramatically.
Replacing a hugely popular figure like Glasner will not be easy, but the speed at which Palace appear to have moved suggests the club are determined to maintain momentum rather than allow this historic achievement to become a one-off moment.
