CrystalPalace

Oliver Glasner: an ambitious, popular head coach who pulls no punches

16-Feb-2024 08:00:41 | The Guardian

Poised to replace Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace, the former Wolfsburg and Frankfurt manager has a growing reputation

Oliver Glasner is ambitious and when a club fails to match his aspirations there can be trouble, so it is safe to assume he has heard much from Crystal Palace that he likes. At Wolfsburg in May 2021, despite success, the Austrian departed because he felt it was difficult to take the club forward with the level of investment that summer and it was similar when he left Eintracht Frankfurt last summer. Now he is poised to replace Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park.

Wolfsburg had just qualified for the Champions League but a strained relationship with the sporting director Jörg Schmadtke caused him to quit. In his next job, with Eintracht, he won the Europa League. His aim throughout this season while unemployed has been to move to England, where transfer budgets are more generous. Glasner held talks with Ajax, Marseille and Lyon over vacancies but was persuaded by his mentor Ralf Rangnick to seek an opportunity in the Premier League.