Departing Glasner wants no sadness as Palace eye European glory

TL;DR

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner aims for European glory before leaving the club in June. The team leads 3-1 against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Conference League semi-finals, with a final match on May 27 potentially marking Glasner's last game.

Key points

Oliver Glasner will leave Crystal Palace when his contract expires in June
Crystal Palace leads 3-1 against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Conference League semi-finals
The final match is scheduled for May 27 in Leipzig
Glasner guided Palace to their first major trophy, the 2025 FA Cup
Palace aims for European football next season

Crystal PalaceShakhtar DonetskStrasbourgRayo Vallecano

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner announced earlier in the season that he would leave when his contract expires in June (Glyn KIRK) (Glyn KIRK/AFP/AFP) Oliver Glasner has insisted that "now is not the time to get melancholic" as he tries to guide Crystal Palace to their first major European trophy before leaving the club at the end of the season. The south London side are on the verge of reaching the Conference League final, with the Eagles 3-1 up from the first leg of their semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk ahead of Thursday's return at Selhurst Park. Should Palace make it through to the showpiece fixture in Leipzig on May 27, it promises to be Glasner's final game in charge after the 51-year-old Austrian manager announced earlier in the season that he would leave when his contract expires in June. Glasner guided Crystal Palace to 2025 FA Cup glory in his first full season in charge as the Eagles lifted the first major trophy in their history. They also won the Community Shield at the start of this season. But Palace's FA Cup defence ended prematurely as they were dramatically knocked out in the third round by non-league Macclesfield in January. Glasner announced the following week that he would leave the club at the end of the campaign in what appeared to be a protest at Palace's transfer policy. "I made my decision and I have my reasons, but as I've always said, we want to end the season in the best possible way -- and now we have the chance to do it," Glasner told a pre-match press conference on Wednesday. "Now is not the time to get melancholic. It's about staying focused." He added: "I tell the players very often: don't do anything for me, do it for yourselves, do it for the club, do it for the fans, because winning the Conference League means European football again next year at Selhurst." "The players tasted the honey last year with the FA Cup. This year it's the Conference League and they want honey again. They won't be happy with just avocado, so they want it a bit sweeter." Should Palace see off Shakhtar, they would face either Strasbourg or in the final. But Glasner, whose side were beaten 3-0 by in the Premier League last weekend, is taking nothing for granted against the Ukrainians. "We will need another great performance, but of course we will play the game with a lot of confidence at home. We know we will have fantastic support from our fans." jdg/bc

Q&A

What did Oliver Glasner say about his departure from Crystal Palace?

Oliver Glasner stated that now is not the time to be melancholic and emphasized the importance of staying focused as they aim for European success.

What is at stake for Crystal Palace in the Conference League semi-finals?

Crystal Palace is on the verge of reaching the Conference League final, which could secure them European football for next season.

Who will Crystal Palace face if they advance to the Conference League final?

If Crystal Palace defeats Shakhtar Donetsk, they will face either Strasbourg or Rayo Vallecano in the final.