Wherever Oliver Glasner works, he is successful. But his tenure has only lasted two years - now also at English club Crystal Palace, which he led to the Conference League final.
27.05.2026, 05:01
27.05.2026, 06:52
SDA
Honesty and ambition are actually two laudable virtues. But Oliver Glasner - it seems - sometimes finds them fatal in the workplace. Because although the Crystal Palace coach could win his third Conference League trophy in two years on Wednesday with the mid-table club that was title-less before his tenure, his departure has already been decided. Once again.
Hiring Glasner can be a challenge. He brings with him a tireless drive and massive ambition - and demands the same from everyone at the club. In the past, this has repeatedly led to friction with the management. "The conditions have to be right for Oliver," explains Palace boss Steve Parish. "It's about him finding the conditions to achieve his goals. Oliver wants to win things."
Dispute with Schmadtke
The Austrian can do that with Palace on Wednesday evening in Leipzig against Madrid's suburban club Rayo Vallecano. Glasner has already won the English Cup and the Super Cup. His farewell on Sunday was correspondingly emotional, as a resounding "Oliver Glasner olé" rang out from the fans at Selhurst Park in south London.
The 51-year-old had already won the Europa League and reached the German Cup final with Eintracht Frankfurt. He had led VfL Wolfsburg to the Champions League.
With Glasner, the success is virtually taken directly under contract. But that can also be exhausting. Especially because the coach does not avoid conflict and talks publicly about things that go beyond his area of work. In Wolfsburg, he fell out with sporting director Jörg Schmadtke because he had repeatedly criticized the club's transfer policy. Allegedly, the two spoke for months only about the most necessary things. One year before the end of his contract, Glasner moved on to Frankfurt.
After the European Cup triumph, things began to go sour on the Main. Glasner wanted to invest in the quality of the team immediately. Head of sport Markus Krösche wanted to continue developing young talents and sell them at a profit. Krösche was also annoyed that Glasner did not immediately accept his offer to extend his contract.
Frustration at press conferences
Glasner became increasingly emotional - his frustration was also vented at press conferences. After Glasner blew his top in response to a question from a journalist, Eintracht boss Axel Hellmann publicly rebuked him. "If Oliver Glasner thinks about it again, he will know that it was neither good nor right to react like that," said Hellmann.
After parting ways with Glasner, Krösche ultimately felt compelled to defend him publicly. Sometimes you have to make unpopular decisions, said the manager. Krösche denied that he had a problem with the argumentative Glasner. "Oliver was very successful and played a big part in us winning the European Cup," said the 45-year-old. "It's also quite normal to discuss things and disagree from time to time."
In the final against the successor?
The frustration at his employer not following his ideas also caught up with him in London. After winning the Cup, Glasner warned that the club should not become a one-hit wonder. Instead, the two best players were sold - Eberechi Eze to FC Arsenal in the summer and Marc Guéhi to Manchester City in the winter. The fact that the transfer fees were not reinvested accordingly caused Glasner's pulse to quicken.
Glasner does not shy away from conflict and is consistent. He officially confirmed his departure in January and had been communicating it internally for some time. He wants to win titles. If his club does not offer him these opportunities, he will simply move on. Incidentally, he could meet his successor in London on Wednesday. According to media reports, Rayo coach Iñigo Perez is one of the candidates.
