For 18 minutes he talked about the game to a packed room, including the News Shopper. Here's what he had to say.
Question: The first half was not the greatest display from either team. What did you say at half-time, because your team came out transformed in the second half?
Oliver Glasner: It’s often in a final that you do not go all in from the first minute. I think the first half was how we expected it. We had a great chance right at the end, in this moment Adam decided to cross and found Tyrick Mitchell on the far post.
In the second half, we said: ‘keep going, we will get our chances’. I do not like to praise any individual player, but I think both of our number sixes played very, very well today. We knew they would press us with minus one player and the ‘keeper a plus one at the back.
Then it was how quick we could switch the side. In that moment, we found it with Daniel Muñoz, to Daichi Kamada with one touch to Adam, and then he had a lot of space. We could found the right player, and then it was the right decision. This goal gave us a lot of confidence. Because then, we were really electric. We played forward, with an incredible free-kick from Jeremy Pino and then the next chance from JP (Mateta).
Honestly, I was a little bit worried, because very often, the goals you do not score, you concede, and we could have decided it. Of course, it was 1-0, they went all in, all the tall players up front and long balls long. But we defended them so well as a team, and in the end, I think we deserved the win.
Question: At which moment of the game did it finally sink in that this was your last game managing Crystal Palace? Was it at the final whistle?
Oliver Glasner: The final whistle. Honestly. I think we did really well keeping the ball in their half, but then the goalkeeper kicked another long ball. You never know, a second ball deflected, and they had a free-kick, got a header and missed the target. I really took a deep breath with the final whistle.
Question: When we first met you back in Beckenham in February 2024, you told us who you were not: you were not a magician, and you were not David Copperfield. Since this is our last opportunity, I want to ask you who you are, and how you would like to be remembered by Crystal Palace Football Club after bringing a little bit of magic to the club?
Oliver Glasner: No, I just guided this group of players and the staff, and I supported them. This is my 100% conviction: I can’t do anything alone. I could be the best magician; it wouldn’t work without the players.
The players deserve all the credit, because they have to listen, they have to trust myself and the staff, they have to work very hard. I think every player will tell you that I am very demanding. If things do not go how I think they should go, or if players drop the standard by one or two percent, I can’t accept it.
Sometimes they are a little bit upset with me, and that’s fine, but in the end, I think they know that I want the best for every single one and I want the best for the team. As soon as everybody understood this, we just created a fantastic spirit. We always increased the standard and said: ‘we don’t drop it anymore, because it is fun and we see what is possible’.
That is what I see as my job: to get everybody aligned in the way we are playing, the way we are defending and the way we are attacking and to get everybody aligned in the mindset we have.
Therefore, you need talented football players, but you also need great characters because they have to follow. They deserve all the credit. At the end, with one year of delay, Crystal Palace, the players, the club and the supporters get what they deserved last year after winning the FA Cup: a spot in the Europa League.
Question: You have brought so much joy to Crystal Palace, and you clearly have such a strong emotional connection with the players and supporters. After a night and a moment like this, is there any chance you could be persuaded to stay?
Oliver Glasner: No. I remember you asked me once, at the academy, when the fans had prepared the banner when we were struggling a little bit. Now is the same. I see myself as a servant for the players, a servant for the club and someone who gives the direction.
I told the players when we had the meeting at the hotel that I got many messages from fans saying thank you for the best day of their life and all the stuff and I really appreciate it. I told the players exactly the same. I have to say thank you to the players. I have to say thank you to the supporters, because it’s the same. It’s another incredible day for me and for my family, sharing these moments with them here in Leipzig. It is just a fantastic day. So I have to say thank you to the players, because they have to do all the job.
Question: Emotionally, this was probably very demanding and very draining. How will you deal with it now? Do you need a few weeks or months to process it, or will you take the next offer from a new club straight away? What is your plan?
Oliver Glasner: That’s difficult. I do not want to think about tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Today we are celebrating and every who knows me knows that I was in a tunnel and I have not thought about anything else only this final.
I can celebrate. I will do tonight with the players. Tomorrow I will be hungover flying back, then I have to clean the apartment, and then go back to my family. I have cancelled everything so far.and then I am going back to my family. After that, I don’t know, I have cancelled everything so far. I didn’t have any energy to think about that, or speak to another club because I thought I had to be here concentrated 100% with these chaps. They deserved my full attention and anything I can say today will be wrong tomorrow. I know I am going to drink a few beers with the players and tomorrow I am going to fly back to London.
Question: At the final whistle you seemed very calm…
Oliver Glasner: I know when we won the Europa League with Frankfurt, I ran onto the pitch for a few metres and then I stopped and I was wondering dd it really happen?
It was the same today; did we really do it today? It was the 60th game today, and I remember ow intense this year was for everyone, especially for the players, but for everyone.
With all the troubles that we had, we thought we were playing in the Europa League, then we thought we were completely out, and then we have about 10 days before the first match against Fredrikstad that’s when we found out that we had to play the Conference League play-offs.
But nobody complained about that. We all accepted it and said: okay, it is what it is. Let us take this detour with all its hurdles. That is why it seemed incredible.
Did we really made this? We played 17 games; it’s half a Bundesliga season. There was also a little bit sadness of course, you think: that’s it. Until today before the start of the game I hadn’t even thought about anything else, but now it is over and that’s what came up in that moment.
Question: Let us look back in February 2024 when you joined Crystal Palace. Everyone who knows you knows that you set goals. Back then, when you arrived, the immediate objective was of course survival. But what was your long-term objective? What did you think would be possible with this club, and what has it become?
Oliver Glasner: We did not have objectives in terms of a league position. We didn’t talk about an FA Cup win or Europe at the time. That was so far away. We had many injured players; we were five points above the relegation line.
For me, it was important to create an environment where everyone likes to be, where everyone is willing to invest a lot in themselves and the team. I told the players this on day one.
At any club where I have worked, I’ve not managed to do this, but I would like to get 100% out of every single player. This might work with 80 or 90%, but for a few it just doesn’t work.
But that is my objective and I think the players feel that. We want to support them, we want to push and sometimes we want to give them a kick in the bum, but we want everyone to give their best and that’s non-negotiable. They have to do everything for the team. If we can do that, then we will be successful.
Whether that is a trophy or the best points total in Premier League history, I don’t know that. But at every club, I have always achieved one of these successes.
Question: You have become just the second Austrian to win two European trophies after Ernst Happel. What does it mean to you?
Oliver Glasner: Of course, it’s two major European trophies, but Happel won the Champions League twice, so that is much better. I have won just the Europa League and the Conference League. You can ask me the same question if I won the Champions League twice, then I would probably be on the same level as he is but now, I don’t feel like this. It is also not important. These are different times. Happel was ahead of his time, probably like Pep Guardiola was in the last decade. I do not deserve to be compared to him.
Following the end of the media conference, Glasner addressed the media present.
Oliver Glasner: Because this is my last press conference - my 120th press conference this season - I would like to thank you, especially all the English journalists who may have been at all 120 press conferences.
Thank you for not asking too stupid questions, and also always listen to my European accent. Thank-you very much. The thing we could deliver is that you can travel in Europe next season as well, like the players, so hopefully you have already extended your visas.
Thank you very much. I wish you all the best. Enjoy the holidays, like we all do, and hopefully you will sit and write about the next final next year. Thank you very much.