Oliver Glasner wants 'perfect ending' to Palace reign with Conference League title

[p]The Austrian will be in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Palace[/a] dugout for the last time having overseen an era of unprecedented success at Selhurst Park since arriving in 2024.[/p][p]He took the club to their first trophy in their 120-year history by winning the FA Cup in his first full campaign.[/p][p]After beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] in the Community Shield to start this season, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/glasner-oliver/CznGurCt/"]Glasner[/a] can [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/crystal-palace-AovF1Mia/rayo-vallecano-8bcjFy6O/?mid=Q17aZoV7"]sign off by helping the south London club to a maiden European title.[/a][/p][p]Victory will also take Palace to next season's Europa League, a year after their right to take part in the competition by winning the FA Cup was stripped by UEFA due to multi-club ownership rules.[/p][embed guid="83f94861-de3a-47e3-ac74-20b5ed00c946" url="https://x.com/CPFC/status/2058988722272575501" social-type="twitter" /][h2]'Perfect ending'[/h2][p]The 51-year-old announced in January that he would leave when his contract expired at the end of the campaign in what seemed to be a protest against the club's transfer policy.[/p][p]The departure followed a similar pattern in Glasner's career, which played out at Bundesliga clubs [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wolfsburg/nwkTahLL/"]Wolfsburg[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/eintracht-frankfurt/8vndvXTk/"]Eintracht Frankfurt[/a].[/p][p]Sudden success followed by fallout with club bosses and a swift exit.[/p][p]Despite a run of 12 games without a win until February, Palace resisted the urge to sack Glasner.[/p][p]Even as supporter sentiment turned on the Austrian - which was not helped by him urging fans to "stay humble. Never forget where you're coming from" - Palace chairman Steve Parish kept the faith.[/p][p]Glasner has rewarded Parish and Palace by taking the club to a first European final.[/p][p]Having guided Frankfurt to a Europa League crown in 2022 and a German Cup final a year later, Glasner seems particularly adept in knockout football.[/p][embed guid="650cfd71-6266-4dcd-b5d2-f6a5e757d00e" url="https://x.com/CPFC/status/2058978404238524430" social-type="twitter" /][p]Speaking with UEFA on Monday, Glasner said victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rayo-vallecano/8bcjFy6O/"]Rayo[/a] would give his time at Palace a storybook ending.[/p][p][b]"I would always feel I had failed if the team had dropped off (after his announcement), because I told them 'you don't need to play for a manager'...[/b][/p][p][b]"It would be a perfect ending. When you watch a movie, when you read a book, you always hope that there is a happy ending.[/b][/p][p][b]"To end this more than two-year journey with another trophy, with the first European trophy in Crystal Palace's history, that would be incredible."[/b][/p][h2]Rayo 'deserve' their spot[/h2][p]Rayo finished the La Liga season a point behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/getafe/dboeiWOt/"]Getafe[/a], who pipped them to Europa Conference qualification. But Rayo can go one better than their Madrid neighbours by beating Palace, to reach the Europa League for just a second time.[/p][p]Also playing a European final for the first time, Rayo moved past the better-resourced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/strasbourg/nP6UzIU1/"]Strasbourg[/a] - part of the multi-club BlueCo group alongside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] - to book their ticket to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rb-leipzig/KbS1suSm/"]Leipzig[/a].[/p][p]While underdogs Rayo beat Strasbourg in both legs, Palace fell 2-1 to the Ligue 1 side in the group stages.[/p][p][b]"All four teams that play the semi-finals deserve to play the final because they have done so well in the competition, and Vallecano are the same,"[/b] Glasner said.[/p][p][b]"(Rayo are) very quick, playing in transition, with quick wingers, always able to score goals.[/b][/p][p][b]"They don't concede many,[/b]" he added.[/p]