{"id":30869,"date":"2026-05-27T16:58:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/oliver-glasners-prep-for-palaces-biggest-game-yet-home-comforts-five-hour-coaches-meetings-and-head-tennis\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T16:58:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:58:39","slug":"oliver-glasners-prep-for-palaces-biggest-game-yet-home-comforts-five-hour-coaches-meetings-and-head-tennis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/oliver-glasners-prep-for-palaces-biggest-game-yet-home-comforts-five-hour-coaches-meetings-and-head-tennis\/","title":{"rendered":"Oliver Glasner\u2019s prep for Palace\u2019s biggest game yet: Home comforts, five-hour coaches\u2019 meetings and head tennis"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Oliver Glasner is a storyteller, but there is one tale to which he has repeatedly returned when discussing Crystal Palace\u2019s run to the UEFA Conference League final.<\/p>\n

It is a reflection on his approach to important games. An explanation of how he manages the fitness levels of a squad, and how, early in his managerial career, he made a decision which proved to be a mistake \u2014 one which has since informed his outlook ahead of those most critical of matches.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an experience I had when I was a young manager in Austria,\u201d Glasner said in his press conference before a 2-2 draw with Arsenal last April, a fixture where Palace had an FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa three days later. \u201cWe played a midweek game,\u00a0 a cup game against a non-League team, and we had a derby at the weekend. I changed 11 players.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an awful game, the cup game. We still won 2-1, but it was awful. Then we went into the next round, so we thought, \u2018OK, well, everything was at least how we planned it\u2019. Every player was fit and could prepare for the derby. But we lost 2-0. I said I would never do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n

That sums up the way he prepares: an element of superstition, an intense amount of planning, meticulous detail and a reflection on what he has done in the past. What worked once may not always work, but he prefers consistency and believes in his approach.<\/p>\n

Glasner is now experienced in these moments; the ones upon which careers are defined.<\/p>\n

He achieved success with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League, winning its final on penalties against Rangers in 2022, and then lifted the FA Cup with Palace, defeating Manchester City last May<\/a>. That was the club\u2019s first major honour and was followed up with victory on penalties over Premier League champions Liverpool to lift the Community Shield in August.<\/p>\n

Now come Rayo Vallecano of Spain in the German city of Leipzig tonight (Wednesday) and, barely believably, the possibility of a third piece of significant silverware for Palace in 13 months.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Oliver<\/p>\n
\n

\n Oliver Glasner lifts the Europa League trophy with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022 (Cristina Quicler\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Palace will not have trained at the RB Arena, the venue for this final, prior to arriving there for the match.<\/p>\n

For UEFA ties, visiting teams are permitted to train in the hosts\u2019 stadium on the eve of the game, but Glasner\u2019s men have only twice conducted their final session on the other club\u2019s pitch in their eight Conference League away games up to this point \u2014 against Fredrikstad in the play-off round back in August and AEK Larnaca in the last 16. And for the latter, it was simply due to logistics given the longer flight duration to Cyprus.<\/p>\n

Much of the approach, and in particular the decision on where to train, is informed by Glasner\u2019s triumph with Frankfurt four years ago, when they held their all pre-game sessions at their own training ground. He believes that what worked for him and his side back then is largely<\/em> the best approach now, even at a different club.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery experience you have in life can help you,\u201d he told reporters last week. \u201cI\u2019m always looking back. \u2018What did we do with Frankfurt? (Did we) train at the stadium, (or) at home and fly after?\u2019. What do we do on matchday? Where did we have a good experience or not?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the same with the FA Cup last season. But then it\u2019s also a feeling, when I see the players (and think), \u2018What do I need?\u2019. Not everything that worked at Frankfurt will work at Crystal Palace. \u2018Do they look nervous? Do they look maybe too confident? What does it need?\u2019. It\u2019s a feeling you get.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always a balance, and when you play a final it can be that you want too much, that this and that must be perfect, and then you are not free. But you need to be free. There is a reason we are playing in this final. The players have done really well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Oliver<\/p>\n
\n

\n Oliver Glasner has gauged the mood of his players to determine what will work best for them ahead of this final (Alex Davidson\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The differences in how Glasner approaches important games are primarily psychological, although he is obsessive over player fitness and ensuring they are looked after.<\/p>\n

Brennan Johnson only joined Palace in January, so was not involved in last season\u2019s FA Cup success. But a player who scored the winning goal for Tottenham in the Europa League final 12 months ago has sensed when his new team-mates have tapped into memories of their own victory last May.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019ve been little bits (drawing on the FA Cup and Community Shield wins),\u201d the Wales international told reporters last week. \u201cWe\u2019ve had so many games, so we haven\u2019t really been able to think about the final too much. But there are games where we look back to the FA Cup, and he (Glasner) shows what it meant to everyone. Just playing in the final. I feel like we\u2019ve got to look back to that.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we were getting through the stages (of the Conference League), I had a few questions about whether it\u2019s similar or different to last year, but I haven\u2019t had to give out too much advice. It\u2019s not just me who\u2019s been in this position. A few lads have played in European finals as well. So it just naturally seeps through to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Glasner has only revealed the specifics of the logistics around this fixture after the team were in situ at their base in Germany.<\/p>\n

The squad had dinner together last night, before being given freedom to spend the evening as they wished. This morning, Glasner intends to offer them an opportunity to sleep later before breakfast, if they choose. Then the squad are scheduled to play some head tennis as \u201cactivation\u201d. While not unique to major finals or the biggest games, it is especially important to him that his players relax.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody is a little bit excited, and it\u2019s a long day (kick-off is 9pm local time),\u201d he said upon arrival in Leipzig. \u201cThis 30 minutes when the players play (head) tennis is one of the best moments for me, because I see kids playing football. We have so much fun. Everybody wants to win, but they are laughing and joking, and I\u2019m sitting there just watching and having a big smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always get a good feeling how the players are. I hope they also are laughing and joking, and they are not calm and introverted because they\u2019re nervous. They should who they are, and then we have the best chance to show a great performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Oliver<\/p>\n
\n

\n Glasner will ask his players to play head tennis on Wednesday as \u201cactivation\u201d ahead of the final (Sebastian Frej\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Since Palace\u2019s win over AEK to reach the quarter-finals of the Conference League, Glasner has given his players a better balance in their time off. The day after a game, they would ordinarily be in at their training ground in Beckenham, south-east London, for a recovery session but, instead, they have been afforded an extra day\u2019s break \u2014 so long as the match result was positive.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn matchday, this is my experience from my first final, I will have a nice breakfast, we will have a good meeting, and I will go to the gym to be ready in the evening,\u201d Glasner explained after that win over the Cypriots.<\/p>\n

Rhythm is a word that he has used repeatedly. He did it before the FA Cup final last summer, and he has referenced it throughout the Conference League when it comes to the knockout stages. He wrestled with whether to rest and rotate his team for the final Premier League game of the season against Arsenal on Sunday, conscious that it was Palace\u2019s 59th match of an exceptional campaign.<\/p>\n

When Arsenal clinched the title in midweek, any concerns about competitive integrity were pushed aside, although he still had not settled on his starting XI until 8pm on Saturday.<\/p>\n

When playing against teams with whom he and his staff are less familiar, and the game is more crucial, Glasner becomes more concerned with matters directly, and oversees preparations personally as opposed to relying too heavily on others\u2019 video analysis.<\/p>\n

He travelled to watch opponents Fiorentina before the quarter-final, and did so again for Shakhtar Donetsk, who Palace played in the last four. Last week, he watched Rayo defeat Valencia. Everything is about the finer details.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t influence what Rangers do, but we can influence what we do, how we play, what we set out to do and how we implement that,\u201d he said in his press conference ahead of that Europa League final four years ago. \u201cI want to win on the basis of our strengths and not the weaknesses of the opponents. That\u2019s how we\u2019re preparing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The same has been true at Palace. In his press conference after their 2-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur the weekend before last season\u2019s FA Cup final, his message was the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s (about) showing what we can do, who we are on our best level, and this is how we will enter the final,\u201d he said then. \u201cThe worst thing we could do now is change many things, because we can\u2019t teach the players something different in four days \u2014 it would just make them dizzy. So, business as usual.\u201d<\/p>\n

His message was virtually identical ahead of that final.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Oliver<\/p>\n
\n

\n Oliver Glasner believes too much change would \u201cdizzy\u201d the players ahead of a big game (John Walton\/PA Images via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

That is also why, in the run-up to tonight\u2019s match, his meetings with staff \u2014 assistants Michael Angerschmid, Ronald Brunmayr, Emanuel Pogatetz, Paddy McCarthy and James Holland, as well as the analysts \u2014 have dragged on, sometimes lasting as long as five hours, with an unbroken focus.<\/p>\n

The attention in these meetings is far less on Palace and much more on the opposition. Consistency and familiarity are already there in what his own team do and how they play, so there is less need to work on those aspects.<\/p>\n

Glasner held meetings focusing solely on the Conference League final earlier than usual, summoning his staff last week, even with that Premier League finale still to be played against Arsenal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe usually don\u2019t do it when we have a league game to play, but we started showing the players (clips of Rayo) last week,\u201d he said in his pre-match press conference in Leipzig on Tuesday. \u201c(We showed) when Rayo played a back three, when they played against a back three, when they played a back four, when they had more possession, less possession.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is an approach which is praised by Palace captain Dean Henderson, who spoke positively about it last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe manager\u2019s so good, he\u2019ll take every opposition differently,\u201d said the England goalkeeper. \u201cHe\u2019ll focus on their game plan to stop them and obviously hurt them the other way. So yes, it\u2019s been quite unique.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Coaches<\/p>\n
\n

\n Coaches Emanuel Pogatetz and Michael Angerschmid watch training with Glasner (Sebastian Frej\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Despite the lengthy talks with his staff beforehand, the video sessions and meetings with players are kept as short as possible so as to ensure maximum focus and avoid weariness. But detail and precision remain essential.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about (Glasner\u2019s) experience,\u201d defender Maxence Lacroix told reporters. \u201cHe already won the Europa League. He knows how stressful it is, and how you have to prepare for this type of occasion. He gave us everything that we need to win.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t like (long meetings), but he knows that this is really important, because finals and high-level football is about details. We have to be focused on every single detail, every single minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

While there are no lengthy speeches about the importance of the games, Glasner is able to build his players up in a different way.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe (gives) us the energy,\u201d Lacroix said. \u201cWhen he (comes) in the training ground, when we (are) in training, he (gives) us the desire to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

And then comes the day of the game.<\/p>\n

On a personal level, Glasner keeps things light in the final moments. Before the FA Cup final, he went to the gym to expend his own nervous energy, and he will do the same again before today\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

He is not immune from stress in the last hour before kick-off, after his final words have been delivered to the team, but there is confidence that his players are as ready as they possibly can be because of that meticulous focus with which he prepared them.<\/p>\n

It should be acknowledged that his record in significant matches is not perfect.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Oliver<\/p>\n
\n

\n Could Glasner follow up Palace\u2019s FA Cup success with the UEFA Conference League title? (Adrian Dennis\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

His Wolfsburg side lost 2-0 to AEK Athens in the final qualifying round for the Europa League in 2020, and by the same score against RB Leipzig in the quarter-finals of that season\u2019s DFB-Pokal \u2014 Germany\u2019s FA Cup.<\/p>\n

There was a defeat with Frankfurt in the final of the same competition, against the same opponent in 2023, and they were also soundly beaten by Napoli in the last 16 of the Champions League that season. Frankfurt also lost 2-0 to Real Madrid in the 2022 UEFA Super Cup, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But what is clear is that he has sought to learn from those disappointments in an attempt to perfect his approach.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Palace will go into this final extremely well prepared. They will know Rayo\u2019s strengths and weaknesses. They will be aware of the game plan Glasner has come up with to beat them. Now it will be up to the players to stay true to themselves and put that strategy into practice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Oliver Glasner is a storyteller, but there is one tale to which he has repeatedly returned when discussing Crystal Palace\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_animmysite_disable_animation":false,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/05\/26144006\/GettyImages-2276839265-e1779822631587.jpg?width=1200&height=630&fit=cover","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trending-sports-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30869"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30869\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}