A glorious chapter: Crystal Palace sweeps three trophies, Glasner soars into immortality

Despite the challenges looming to capsize the campaign, Crystal Palace crafted a proud contemporary fairy tale as they parted ways with their tactical mastermind.

When Chairman Steve Parish met Oliver Glasner in late 2023 through a recommendation from Director Dougie Freedman, few expected the gears of Crystal Palace's history to shift. Although Roy Hodgson was still in charge, the Austrian tactician's sharp thinking completely convinced the club's leadership.

The brilliant two-and-a-half-year journey has just ended with a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig. This Conference League title marks the end of a 375-day period of resounding success, signifying an unprecedented milestone as the club officially completed a clean sweep of three major trophies in about 12 months.

From a club that had never won a trophy in 121 years, Palace consecutively won the FA Cup, the Community Shield, and a European cup. Midfielder Adam Wharton commented: "He is one of the best managers Palace has ever had. Glasner completely changed how the club perceives tournaments."

However, glory was not without thorns when UEFA relegated them to the Conference League due to the multi-club ownership rules involving businessman John Textor and Lyon. Parish called it 'one of the biggest injustices in European football history.' But the Eagles responded emphatically by defeating the champions Liverpool.

Troubles continued when Eze moved to Arsenal and Glasner threatened to resign if Marc Guehi was sold to Liverpool. The simmering rift led to a serious crisis with a 12-match winless streak. Palace free-fell in the Premier League and suffered a huge pain when non-league Macclesfield knocked them out of the FA Cup.

In the eye of the storm, Glasner announced his departure after the board agreed to sell Guehi to Man City. "In January, it was really a terrible time to support Palace," Ellie Killick from the fanzine Eagle Eye View shared. But Parish remained steadfast in his faith in Glasner until the very end.

Patience paid off when Glasner revived the team, winning a European cup and securing a spot in the Europa League. On his farewell day, he humorously said: "Now that I'm leaving, I don't have to agree with the chairman anymore. He says the best day was the FA Cup final, but I disagree. The best day was in Leipzig."