Oliver Glasner is the new coach of Crystal Palace

Glasner has signed a contract until the end of the 2025/26 season. He will sit on the bench for the first time on Saturday in the match against Burnley. It is not yet known who the upper Austrian will appoint as assistant coach. “I am delighted to be joining Crystal Palace as a coach. I am looking forward to working with the talented squad, meeting the club's fans and experiencing the atmosphere at Selhurst Park that I have heard so much about. It has been a pleasure meeting Steve and Dougie and I look forward to working with them to achieve our goals.

By Steve he meant CEO and co-owner Steve Parish, who also commented on the club's website. “I am delighted to welcome Oliver to the club. He has a fantastic record and we believe he is the right coach to take the club forward at this crucial stage,” Parish said. “People believe in Glasner’s ambition and his ‘exciting and attacking approach’. This is ideal for getting the best out of a talented squad.” Young for the rest of the season and beyond, Parrish continued.

Before Glasner, Styria's Ralph Hasenhuttl was the only Austrian FA coach in the world's most financially powerful league at Southampton from December 2018 to November 2022. Now comes Glasner who returns to the bench after an eight-month break since his departure from Eintracht Frankfurt.

In South London, it is supposed to end the decline and be able to stay in the league with the “Eagles”, which rose to the first division in 2013. Even before Crystal Palace’s match against Everton on Monday evening, the club from South London was only ranked sixteenth in the table. It is five points ahead of the relegation zone. Crystal Palace had previously lost ten of its last 16 league matches, which made Hodgson subject to increasing criticism.

Glasner, a legend as a player at SV Ried, entered the coaching field as a co-worker at Red Bull Salzburg in 2012, and after successful signings at Ried and VSK, he moved to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga in July 2019. After finishing fourth in the Bundesliga and qualifying for the Bundesliga European champions, Glasner moved to Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2021, where he became a fan favourite.

Under the leadership of the Upper Austria team, Eintracht reached the Europa League final after successes over Barcelona, ​​Sevilla and West Ham, which they won on penalties against Glasgow Rangers in May 2022 after a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes. In the following Champions League debut, they advanced to the round of 16, but after the National Cup final in May 2023, Glasner said goodbye to Frankfurt.

The new coach's announcement, which was initially rumored to be on Tuesday, has now been made on the same day. Only moments before, Hodgson had given up. The 76-year-old man was recently admitted to hospital for tests due to the disease. Hodgson said: “I understand that, given recent circumstances, it may be advisable at this time for the club to plan for the future, which is why I have taken the decision to resign.”

Under Hodgson, Crystal Palace have lost ten of their last 16 league games. In September, the club celebrated success against Manchester United at Old Trafford, but fans' criticism of Hodgson has also become louder. On Monday evening, the club from south London met Everton in a late duel in Liverpool – in front of Glasner, who was sitting in the stands. Former assistant coaches Paddy McCarthy and Ray Lewington served as interim coaches. Glasner saw a 1-1 draw. Jordan Ayew (66) scored for Crystal, while Amadou Onana scored the deserved equalizer for the hosts (84).

According to Sky information, Glasner is supposed to take former SKN coach Emmanuel Pogatz with him to England as an assistant coach. Bogatetz once played 116 Premier League matches for Middlesbrough and West Ham United. The 41-year-old Styrian was only appointed as coach of the Young Violets provincial football team at the beginning of January.