Oliver Glasner has begun his Nottingham Forest tenure without directly mentioning Crystal Palace, despite arriving at the City Ground after the most successful period in Palace’s history.
Forest’s announcement detailed Glasner’s previous work with Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt. His achievements at Selhurst Park were instead described more broadly as success in “England” and “English football”.
The same pattern continued during his first club interview.
Glasner explained that he already knew the City Ground from visiting “as a manager of an away team”, rather than referring to Palace by name.
It may simply be standard communication from a club eager to focus on its own future. Even so, the repeated omission has understandably been noticed by Palace supporters.
Palace deserved a clearer place in Glasner’s story
Glasner did not arrive at Forest following an anonymous spell in England.
He led Palace through a historic period and left with a reputation transformed by his work in south London. His influence helped raise expectations at Selhurst Park and made him attractive to another ambitious Premier League club.
Forest’s official appointment statement praised his leadership, tactical approach and record of winning trophies. It referred to success in Germany and England without naming Palace directly.
That choice is unusual rather than outrageous.
New employers often present appointments through the achievements most relevant to their own supporters. Forest have no obligation to celebrate Palace in their unveiling material.
However, naming Wolfsburg and Frankfurt while reducing Glasner’s immediate former club to “English football” creates an avoidable impression.
His Palace tenure is not a minor entry on his CV. It explains why Forest wanted him.
ReadCrystalPalace previously examined how Glasner’s move added an immediate edge to Palace’s meeting with Forest. The fixture already carried emotion before his first interview gave supporters another detail to discuss.
The relationship between Palace and Forest remains strained
The reaction is also shaped by recent history between the clubs.
The UEFA dispute created frustration at Palace after Forest took the European place the Eagles believed they had earned on the pitch. That episode has made every public reference, graphic and administrative decision more likely to be examined through a hostile lens.
The removed blue ribbons in Forest’s trophy graphic added to that mood. On its own, the design choice could be explained as adapting the image to Forest’s colours.
Combined with the wording of the announcement and Glasner’s “away team” reference, it looked unnecessarily pointed to some Palace supporters.
There is no firm evidence of a formal policy to avoid mentioning Palace. A more measured conclusion is that Forest have chosen to present Glasner almost entirely through their own identity, with little concern for how that presentation might look from Selhurst Park.
Reuters’ report on the appointment had no difficulty describing Glasner as Palace’s former manager or recognising the silverware he won there.
Forest could have done the same without weakening their announcement.
Palace must resist becoming consumed by Glasner
Palace supporters are entitled to find the omissions strange, but the club cannot allow Glasner’s new job to dominate the summer.
Pierre Sage has already begun his own work at Selhurst Park. Palace appointed the reigning Ligue 1 Manager of the Year on a three-year contract and have backed him with Óscar Mingueza as his first senior signing.
ReadCrystalPalace has since looked at why Mingueza strengthens Sage’s squad without replacing Maxence Lacroix.
Palace also have European football, a squad containing several World Cup performers and a manager with his own tactical identity.
Glasner deserves gratitude for his work. His return to Selhurst Park should not automatically become an occasion for hostility.
Equally, acknowledging what he achieved at Palace should not be difficult.
Forest’s presentation has created noise which could easily have been avoided. Palace’s best response is to make sure the next chapter becomes strong enough that nobody can reduce it to a missing name in someone else’s announcement.
