Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season.
The highly-rated Austrian, who has been tipped to take over at Manchester United as the club’s next permanent boss, guided the Eagles to FA Cup success last season, but had not agreed a contract extension at Selhurst Park.
Glasner, 51, arrived at Palace in 2024, having won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt.
“My decision has already been taken months ago,” Glasner told a press conference.
“I had a meeting (with Steve Parish) in the October international break, we had dinner and a very long talk and I told him I would not sign a new contract for Crystal Palace.
“We agreed at that time that it was best to keep it between us, this is how confidential we work together, that we could keep it between us for three months.”
Glasner is glad to have been able to give everyone at the club a sense of “clarity” moving forwards, with the Palace boss also confirming captain Marc Guehi was in the “final stages” of completing his move to Manchester City.
Glasner added: “I told the team today the same, because I think it is now important to have clarity, because I don’t want this question at the players and ‘what is going on?’.
“We had a very busy schedule, that is why we didn’t want to tell it just because we want the same, Steve and me, we want the best for Crystal Palace.”
Palace have been drawn against Zrinjski Mostar of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Conference League play-off round next month as they look to progress through to the last 16 against either Mainz or Larnaca.
Glasner hopes to use the rest of the campaign to stay focussed on delivering more success to the Eagles – and insisted he had not spoken to any other clubs over his future.
“The reason is just for me – I am looking for a new challenge,” said Glasner, whose side sit 13th in the Premier League and suffered a shock exit in the FA Cup third round last weekend at non-league Macclesfield.
“I haven’t spoken to any other club – no interest – and I told the players, I promised them today that I will give my best to play the best ever season in Crystal Palace history and to break the (Premier League) points record of last season.
“We are now four points better than last year at this stage of the season and we will do everything to bring another trophy back to Selhurst Park.”
Glasner maintains the future will be bright for Palace, whoever takes charge after he leaves Selhurst Park in the summer.
“I know that this club is in great hands, where everybody wants the best for Palace,” said Glasner, whose side travel to Sunderland on Saturday.
“I know this club will move forward, definitely. Maybe today it doesn’t feel like this, but I know behind the scenes, everybody is working really hard to get the positivity back.”
