Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano face each other in the UEFA Conference League final on May 27 in Leipzig, with the match carrying huge importance for both clubs.
Palace are chasing the first European trophy in their history, while Rayo are also appearing in their first continental final. For Palace, it is also the final game of Oliver Glasner’s time at the club after a memorable two-year spell in south London.
Glasner arrived at Palace in February 2024 and quickly improved the team. He guided the club to their first major trophy with the FA Cup win in 2025 and later added the Community Shield.
This season, despite a difficult Premier League campaign where they finished 15th, Palace reached a European final under the Austrian manager.
Why is Oliver Glasner Leaving Crystal Palace?
Oliver Glasner’s decision to leave Crystal Palace came down to a mix of personal and professional reasons. After a long season, the Austrian manager reportedly wanted a short break and more time with his family in Austria.
There were also frustrations behind the scenes regarding Crystal Palace’s transfer decisions.
Palace sold important players like captain Marc Guéhi and Eberechi Eze, which reportedly left Glasner unhappy with how the squad was changing.
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The manager later admitted he found it difficult to deal with losing key players while trying to keep the team competitive.
Regarding his future, German media heavily linked Glasner to a return to the Bundesliga. According to Sport Bild, Bayer Leverkusen has identified him as their preferred choice if their managerial spot opens up this summer.