- Crystal Palace face Shakhtar Donetsk
- Oliver Glasner wants to win Conference League for “all of us”
- Eagles eyeing a trip to Leipzig for final
Oliver Glasner has insisted that Crystal Palace winning the UEFA Conference League would be an ‘amazing’ achievement for the club, not just for him personally. The Austrian spoke ahead of tonight’s first leg of the semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Palace are in Krakow, Poland, for the meeting with the Ukrainian league leaders. They are two games away from reaching the final in Leipzig.
Glasner leaves his role as manager at the end of the season, and much of the talk about a potential Conference League triumph has centred around a perfect sendoff. He already delivered the greatest moment in the club’s history, guiding the Eagles to FA Cup glory last season.
‘Amazing’ – Glasner on Palace Lifting European Trophy
Palace’s fairytale FA Cup win came with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the final at Wembley. This season hasn’t been without its issues, including a difficult winter period.
Glasner also seemed to clash with fans after announcing his decision to depart when his contract expires. It’s fair to say that the relationship is well and truly back on track.
The 51-year-old was asked by TNT Sports about the prospect of leaving Selhurst Park with a Conference League winners’ medal. He made clear it wouldn’t just be for him:
“It’s not for me personally, it’s for all of us. It’s for the whole club, for our fans, it would be amazing.”
Glasner’s troops still need to get to Leipzig and he’s well aware of the challenge Shakhtar pose:
“Now playing a second final in a second consecutive year, we will give our best to achieve the final and play in Leipzig. I have huge respect for Shakhtar Donetsk, it’s a very good team. It will be a tough challenge for us.”
Glasner took charge of Palace in February 2024 and has become the most successful manager in the club’s history. Not only did he guide the South London outfit to the FA Cup but he also oversaw a Community Shield victory over Liverpool in this season’s curtain raiser.
Focus on Shakhtar
Playing the game, not the occasion, would be the best way to put it for Palace tonight. The dream of reaching a first-ever European final is a real possibility, but Shakhtar can’t be overlooked.
Coached by former Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan, they are enjoying a fine run of form and top of the Ukrainian Premier League. Of course, the level of competition is completely different to that of the Premier League.
But Turan’s men boast six wins and two defeats in 10 Conference League games. That includes a 3-0 (5-2 aggregate) win over AZ Alkmaar in the previous round.
