Oliver Glasner gave his thoughts on a perfect send-off from Crystal Palace.The Eagles earned a spot in the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano at the Red Bull Arena, shaking off the disappointment of being kicked out of the Europa League last summer.
They had already defeated Manchester City in a major cup final (FA Cup) last May and also beaten Liverpool on penalties in the Community Shield, so they had the experience to ready themselves for the occasion, and the additional aspiration was to let their head coach depart his role on a high.
·‘We have created the mindset that everything is possible’
And they delivered. Jean-Philippe Mateta netted the only goal of the game against Rayo Vallecano, and Yeremy Pino nearly doubled the lead from a fantastic free kick as the Eagles went up a gear in the first 15 minutes of the second half. The end of this historic chapter for the club comes with sadness, but it could not have ended in a better way for the South London side or their leader.
“It has meant a lot. I was talking to the players in the meeting today - you hear the fans thanking us for giving them the best day of their lives and I said thank you to the players because it is the same for me. The players and fans give me and my family, who are here today, great days in our lives. That is what I really appreciate.
"The players always listened to me, supported me, trusted in me and believed in what I told them. I can be very demanding. A huge thank you to the players and all of the staff and of course all of the fans. I don't know how many have travelled from England here but I think they will have a great party and we will join them.
"Right now, I can't even believe it is the last game. It is a good chapter to read in the Crystal Palace book, but other good chapters will follow. I said to the players after the FA Cup, go and get what you deserve, the Europa League. Now with a one-year delay, the club, fans, players, sometimes you have to take a road around and now Crystal Palace is where it should be.
"The game was how we expected but I think we played an incredible 15 minutes after half-time. We defended so well at the end. A fantastic evening, this group of players and fans deserve it.
"I see myself as part of the group. As a manager, you cannot do anything alone. You need great staff and you need great players and people. This is what this group is. They always stick together and work hard. Since day one, we have created the mindset that everything is possible if you work hard.
"In the end, it's the players' responsibility to take advantage of everything you get offered. On Monday, I think it was 34 degrees in London - I think I left at 17:00, JP [Mateta] and Mitchell had just come back from the Cryo chamber. That shows the mindset of the players; they are investing so much and that is why we can lift another trophy."