- 3 months ago
MoTM Adam Wharton and outgoing Oliver Glasner on Palace conference league win in Leipzig
27/05/2026
uefa26 Conference league final Crystal Palace 1-0 Rayo Vallacano
27/05/2026
uefa26 Conference league final Crystal Palace 1-0 Rayo Vallacano
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00:00Adam Wharton, same rules apply with regards to languages for questions.
00:05Please raise your hand and identify yourself to my colleague Jo over there.
00:11Hello everyone, if you can raise your hand, the gentleman in the middle here in the second row.
00:15If we wouldn't mind making it one question per person, that would be helpful, thank you.
00:22Good evening, first of all, big congratulations, an amazing match, but I have a question on the player.
00:29You had just one shot in the match and it ended up changing the whole final.
00:35You had quite a little bit of the space in the moment, in the end it was the decisive shot,
00:40so what was going through your mind in the decisive moment?
00:44Did you think you would like to pass or the shot was the best option?
00:48Thanks a lot, thanks a lot.
00:52No, I was looking for the pass first.
00:55I don't shoot too much as you've probably just said there, one shot.
00:59But yeah, as I was going forward with the ball, I was originally looking for a shot, a pass, sorry.
01:06I seen Munoz was at the back post, I was going to play it to him when I was getting
01:10a bit closer
01:11and then they just kept going back and there was more space.
01:14So I got close enough to have a shot and thankfully it ended up going straight to JP.
01:20So it was a good shot.
01:24Can you pass the mic down to Ed? Thank you.
01:27This is to Oliver, please.
01:29The first half wasn't the greatest display from either team, but what did you say at half-time
01:33because your team came out in the second half, just transformed?
01:39Yes, you know, it's often in the final that you don't go in from the first minute
01:43and I think the first game was how we expected it.
01:48We had a great chance right at the end, also in this moment Adam decided to cross
01:53and then found Team Mitchell on the far post.
01:56In the second half we said, OK, keep going, we will get our chances and the goal was, I think,
02:05I don't like to praise an individual player, but I think both sixes, Adam and Daichi,
02:10played very, very well today because we knew they will press us with minus one player
02:15and to keep a plus one in the back and then it was how quick can we switch the side
02:22and in this moment we found it with Danny Munoz to Daichi Kamado with one touch to Adam
02:28and then he had a lot of space so we could find the right player and then it was the
02:34right decision
02:34and I think this goal gave us a lot of confidence because then we were really electric
02:41so we played forward with an incredible free kick from Jeremy Pino, the next chance from JP
02:49and honestly I was a little bit worried because very often, I don't know if you say the same in
02:55English,
02:55when the goals you don't score you concede and we could have decided it
02:59and then of course it's just 1-0, they went all in, all the tall players up front kicking the
03:05balls long,
03:05but yeah, we defended then so well as a team and so at the end I think we deserved the
03:10win.
03:12Sorry Bobby, yeah.
03:13Harlava, congratulations.
03:15At which moment of the game was it the final whistle that it finally set in
03:20that it was your last game managing Crystal Palace?
03:22Final whistle, so honestly, again because it's, I think we did really well keeping the ball in their half,
03:30but again I think it was then the keeper kicked another long ball, you never know a second ball,
03:36deflected and had a free kick, I think really Sean got the header, missing the target,
03:43so no, I was just really, I took a deep breath with the final whistle.
03:52Adam, we saw you limp off on Sunday, was there any ever doubt that you weren't going to start
03:57and then play 90 minutes and then run the show like that?
04:00Just talk us through that.
04:01Yeah, there was a lot of doubt, pretty much just had my foot in an icebox for the last couple
04:08of days,
04:10just trying to get the swelling down and stuff, a few painkillers and that done the job,
04:16so yeah, to be fair like I couldn't really shoot fully, so even the shot was a bit,
04:24it wasn't.
04:25Never seen you shooting.
04:29Yeah, it wasn't very comfortable, but I'm not going to miss a final for a little swollen angle, so yeah.
04:40Okay, Rachel behind, thank you.
04:43Hi Oliver, congratulations again.
04:45When we first met you back in Beckenham in February 2024, you told us who you were not,
04:50you were not a magician, you were not David Copperfield,
04:53and just because it's our last opportunity, I want to ask you who you are
04:56and how you'd like to be remembered by Crystal Palace Football Club
04:58after bringing a little bit of magic to the club.
05:01No, I just guided this group of players and their staff and I supported them,
05:07and I said, you know, this is because it's my 100% conviction, so I can't do anything alone,
05:18you know, I could be the best magician, it wouldn't work without the players,
05:21and so the players deserve all the credit because they have to listen,
05:30they have to trust me and myself and the staff of course,
05:35they have to work very hard and I think every player will tell you that I'm very demanding,
05:44so if things don't go how I think they should go or if players probably drop the standard by one
05:53or two percent,
05:54I can't accept it, and then sometimes they are a little bit upset with me and that's fine,
06:03but at the end I think they know that I want the best for every single one,
06:07and I want the best for the team, and as soon as everybody understood this,
06:13we just created a fantastic spirit, you know, and we always increased the standard,
06:18and we said, okay, no, we don't drop it anymore because it makes fun,
06:23and we see what is possible, and this is what I see as my job,
06:28to get everybody aligned in the way we are playing, in the way we are defending,
06:32in the way we are attacking, and to get everybody aligned in the mindset we have,
06:36and therefore you need great, of course talented football players,
06:43but you need great characters because they have to follow,
06:46and so they deserve all the credit, and at the end it's now with one year delay
06:52that Crystal Palace, the players, the club and the supporters get what they have to say.
06:58They served last year after winning the fake-up, and that's a spot in the Europa League.
07:04Kurt?
07:05Hi, a question for Oliver, congratulations.
07:08You've brought so much joy to Crystal Palace,
07:11you clearly have such a strong emotional connection with the players,
07:15with the supporters.
07:17After you've had a night like this, a moment like this,
07:20is there any chance you could be persuaded to stay?
07:22No, I remember you asked me once, it was at the academy when the fans prepared the banner,
07:30when we were struggling a little bit, and now it's the same,
07:36I see myself as a servant for the players, as a servant for the club,
07:40and then somebody who gives the direction.
07:49And I told the players today in the meeting when we had it in the hotel,
07:53because I got many messages from fans where they said thank you for the best day in my life,
07:59and all that stuff, and I really appreciate it.
08:01And I told the players exactly the same, so I have to say thank you to the players,
08:07I have to say thank you to the supporters, because it's the same.
08:10It's also another incredible day for me and for my family,
08:14sharing these moments with my family here at Leipzig again.
08:17This is just a fantastic day, so I have to say thank you to the players,
08:21because they have to do all the job.
08:25Thanks.
08:26This gentleman over here on the left.
08:29Herr Glasner, herzlichen Glückwunsch.
08:32Jetzt geht eine Zeit zu Ende, glaube ich, die sehr emotional war,
08:36wahrscheinlich auch sehr fordernd, sehr energieraubend.
08:41Wie gehen Sie jetzt damit um?
08:43Nehmen Sie sich jetzt ein paar Wochen, ein paar Monate Zeit, um das zu verarbeiten?
08:47Oder nehmen Sie gleich das nächste Angebot an für einen neuen Club?
08:52Was ist so Ihr Plan für die nächste Woche?
08:55Sie fragen sich nicht so schwierige Sachen.
08:57Ich mag noch gar nicht über morgen hinausdenken.
09:00Ah, you don't understand it.
09:01Ah, you don't understand.
09:04Heute wird mal gefeiert und jeder, der mich kennt,
09:07ich war jetzt im Tunnel und habe mir nichts gegönnt,
09:12außer den Fokus jetzt auf das Finale.
09:15Und ich kann aber auch schon ganz gut die Sau rauslassen
09:17und das werde ich auch heute Abend machen mit den Spielern.
09:21Und dann morgen ein bisschen verkatert zurück nach London fliegen.
09:24Ja, und dann ist Wohnung räumen.
09:26Und dann geht es mal zur Familie zurück und alles Weitere.
09:30Wirklich, ich habe alles bis jetzt gecancelt.
09:33Ich hatte keine Lust und keine Energie, mir darüber Gedanken zu machen
09:39oder auch mit irgendjemand, einem anderen Klub oder irgendetwas darüber zu sprechen,
09:43weil ich mich einfach verpflichtet gefühlt habe.
09:45Und dass ich zu 100 Prozent konzentriert auf die Jungs bin
09:51und sie 100 Prozent Oliver Glasner verdienen.
09:54Und wie gesagt, alles Weitere.
09:56Ich denke, ich habe den Fußball kennengelernt.
09:59Alles, was ich heute sage, ist morgen falsch.
10:02Deswegen weiß ich definitiv, dass ich heute mit den Spielern feiern werde,
10:06ein paar Bier trinken werde und morgen zurück nach London fliege.
10:13Danke.
10:14Oh, sorry, I didn't see you.
10:17Yeah, we'll go there.
10:19Oliver, beim Schlusspfiff hast du sehr, sehr ruhig gewirkt,
10:23zumindest nach außen.
10:24Ruhiger als nach anderen Triumphen dieser Art?
10:27Täuscht dein Eindruck und wie war das Gefühl drinnen?
10:31Ja, es war, nein, es war eher so, also ich werde dann ruhig.
10:36Ich weiß noch, als wir in Frankfurt an die Europa League gewonnen haben,
10:38da bin ich so drei Meter oder fünf Meter in den Platz gelaufen.
10:41Letzte Elfmeter und dann stehen geblieben.
10:43Ist das jetzt wirklich passiert?
10:45Und heute war es ähnlich.
10:46So haben wir das jetzt wirklich geschafft, weil ich weiß einfach,
10:50es ist das 60. Spiel heute.
10:52Und ich weiß einfach, wie intensiv dieses Jahr war für alle.
10:58Also wie gesagt, insbesondere natürlich für die Spieler,
11:00aber für alle.
11:01Also, und dass wir das dann jetzt so mit all diesen Troubles auch beginnen.
11:08Wir dachten, wir spielen Europa League.
11:09Dann dachten wir, wir sind ganz raus.
11:11Und dann haben wir plötzlich, ich glaube, wir haben zehn Tage vor dem ersten Spiel
11:15gegen Frederikstad erfahren, dass wir jetzt Conference League die Playoffs spielen müssen.
11:20Und es hat keiner gejammert, es hat keiner sich beschwert,
11:23sondern wir haben das alle akzeptiert, haben gesagt, okay, dann ist es halt so.
11:27Dann lasst uns halt diesen Umweg Conference League nehmen mit allen Hürden.
11:34Und deswegen war wirklich so fast so unglaubwürdig.
11:38Wir haben das jetzt wirklich geschafft.
11:41Das war unser 17. Spiel in der Conference League.
11:43Das ist eine halbe Bundesliga-Saison.
11:46Und das war eher so.
11:48Und natürlich auch dann ein bisschen Wehmut.
11:52Ein bisschen, ja, dann denkst du, hey, das war's jetzt.
11:58Also, weil ich war wirklich bis heute vor dem Anpfiff,
12:02habe noch gar nicht darüber hinaus gedacht und so.
12:04Jetzt ist es aber wirklich vorbei.
12:06Und das alles ist so in dem Moment hochgekommen.
12:12Oliver, zuerst einmal gratuliere.
12:14Blicken wir nicht nur die 17-Spiele-Konferenz League zurück und die 60 in der Saison.
12:19Blicken wir nur einmal im Februar 2024 zurück.
12:22Jeder, der dich kennt, weiß, du steckst dir Ziele.
12:25Damals war es natürlich Klassenerhalter.
12:26So ist klar, wie du gekommen bist.
12:28Das ist das Nahziel.
12:29Aber was war dein Fernziel, Thomas?
12:31Was hast du dir ausgerechnet, was mit diesem Klub möglich wäre,
12:35was dann geworden ist, wissen wir alle?
12:39Wir haben uns keine Ziele gesetzt in Form einer Tabellenplatzierung.
12:43Natürlich haben wir jetzt auch kein einziges Wort über den FC-Cup-Sieg
12:47oder über Europa gesprochen.
12:48Das war ja so weit weg.
12:50Wenn du fünf Punkte über den Abstiegsplatz bist,
12:53gerade viele verletzte Spieler waren.
12:57Für mich ist wichtig, dass wir ein Environment bilden,
13:10wo jeder gerne hinkommt, aber auch jeder gewillt ist, wahnsinnig viel zu investieren.
13:18In sich individuell und in die Mannschaft.
13:21Und dann weiß ich einfach, dass wir, und das ist immer mein Ziel,
13:28und das sage ich den Spielern auch von Tag Nummer eins,
13:32und ganz ehrlich gesagt, ich bin noch bei jedem Klub gescheitert,
13:37ich möchte aus jedem einzelnen Spieler 100 Prozent rausbekommen.
13:42Ich denke, dass es uns immer bei wahrscheinlich 80 oder 90 Prozent vielleicht gelingt,
13:46aber bei ein paar gelingt es dann leider nicht aus verschiedensten Gründen.
13:51Und das ist mein Ziel.
13:53Ich denke, das spüren die Spieler, dass wir sie wirklich unterstützen,
13:57pushen, auch mal ein bisschen in den Hintern treten, wenn es nötig ist.
14:02Aber um den bestmöglichen Adam Warden zu bekommen,
14:06der dann bestmöglich für die Mannschaft steht.
14:10Und das ist immer das einzige Non-negotiable, ist immer alles für die Mannschaft.
14:14Und dann weiß ich einfach, wenn wir das hinbekommen, dann steht am Ende des Tages Erfolg.
14:20Ob das dann ein Trophäe ist, ob das eine beste Punktzahl in der Premier League Geschichte ist,
14:26das weiß ich vorher nicht.
14:28Aber am Ende war es zumindest bei jedem Klub so, dass es immer mit die erfolgreichsten Jahre über Jahrzehnte war.
14:37Vielen Dank.
14:38Vielen Dank.
14:38Wir können nur noch zwei mehr.
14:39So Ryan at the back and the gentleman there.
14:41DJ is waiting.
14:43DJ is waiting.
14:44DJ is waiting.
14:45Yeah, I heard.
14:47Congratulations, both of you.
14:48A question for Adam, if that's okay.
14:50You mentioned your ankle, Adam,
14:52but obviously you've had a little bit of a setback recently,
14:55not being selected for England.
14:57First of all, how did you respond to that?
15:01And to produce a performance like that in a major European final,
15:05are you booking any holidays or are you going to wait to see
15:08if maybe there's a chance that you might enter Thomas Tuchel's thinking?
15:14Yeah, no, that's just part of football.
15:19It was never a guarantee I was going to go.
15:22I knew that.
15:23And yeah, when he called me, he just told me I wasn't there.
15:28He said it was close.
15:31But yeah, like I said, that's football.
15:33I'm not going to sit here and cry about it.
15:36Still had two games for Palace to go.
15:39Obviously tonight being a massive one.
15:41So yeah, I don't really dwell on them things too much.
15:46It's not the end of the world.
15:47I'm still young.
15:49Hopefully there's other tournaments and World Cups that I can go to in the future.
15:53But yeah, I was just focused on Palace and coming here and getting the win,
16:00in which we have done.
16:01So yeah, I'm glad with that.
16:03And I've got a couple of places booked to go.
16:07But I'm just going to enjoy my summer, yeah.
16:10And tonight.
16:11Well done.
16:12Two rows in front in white.
16:15Thank you very much.
16:17Question for Oliver.
16:18Oliver, you became just the second Austrian to win two European trophies after Ernst Happel.
16:24So to be in the same name as Ernst Happel, what does that make you feel like?
16:30No, of course it's two major European trophies.
16:35But I think Ernst Happel won twice the Champions League, so much better than I am.
16:38European Cup.
16:39Yeah, I think it was Cup of the Champions League.
16:41It was a different format.
16:43But I think he won, or was it twice the Champions League?
16:46Cup of the Landesmeister?
16:49Yeah, but twice the Champions League.
16:51Yes, so I won just the Europa League and the Conference League.
16:55So yeah, you could ask me the same question.
16:57If I have won the Champions League twice, then probably I'm on the same level that he is.
17:03But now I don't feel like this.
17:05And it's also not important, it's different times.
17:08But Ernst Happel, he was his times ahead, like probably Pep Guardiola was in the last decade.
17:17And so I think I don't deserve to be compared to him.
17:22OK.
17:23That's it.
17:24Thank you very much, everyone.
17:25Just because it's my last press conference.
17:27It is.
17:28It is.
17:28It's my last press conference.
17:29120.
17:30This season.
17:32This season, press conference.
17:34And I would like to thank you, especially all the English ones who were on maybe all 120 press conferences.
17:44So thank you for asking not too stupid questions and also always listening to my European accent.
17:56And yeah, thank you very much.
17:59And the thing we could deliver is that you can travel in Europe next season as well.
18:04So like the players.
18:05So hopefully you have extended your visa already.
18:08So thank you very much.
18:10Wish you all the best.
18:11Enjoy the holidays like we all do.
18:13And yeah.
18:15Hopefully you will sit and write about the next final next year.
18:22Thank you very much.
18:23Thank you very much.
18:30Thank you everyone.
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