Crystal Palace will play in their first European final after beating Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 on aggregate in the Conference League semi-final on Wednesday, booking a place against Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on May 28.
The result caps a season that has taken Palace from relegation candidates to the brink of continental silverware under Oliver Glasner, who arrived in February 2025 with the club five points above the drop. Palace won the FA Cup that May, their first major trophy, and have carried that momentum into Europe’s third-tier competition, beating Shakhtar 2-1 on the night at Selhurst Park after a 1-0 first-leg lead earned in Poland.
Glasner is expected to depart after the Leipzig final regardless of the outcome, with his contract expiring in 2026 and no extension agreed. The Guardian reported that the Austrian’s relationship with chairman Steve Parish remains strong, but that both parties have accepted this cycle is drawing to a close. Glasner has been linked with the vacancy at Bayern Munich, though no formal approach has been made.
The decision Parish and the Palace board now face will shape the club’s trajectory for years. The Conference League final represents the highest point Palace have reached since the 1990 FA Cup final replay; sustaining that requires an appointment calibrated to a squad built in Glasner’s image. Eberechi Eze, Marc Guéhi and Adam Wharton are all under contract, but the nucleus will be tested by Champions League and Europa League clubs this summer whether or not Palace win in Leipzig.
Parish has overseen managerial transitions before. The hires of Patrick Vieira and then Glasner both came with reputational risk and both succeeded beyond expectation. But this is different. Palace are no longer fighting to stay up or springing an occasional cup upset; they are a European finalist with a squad that, according to The Guardian’s reporting, expects investment this summer to match the new standing. A wrong hire could unravel 18 months of work in a single pre-season.
Names already circulating include Kieran McKenna, whose Ipswich side were relegated from the Premier League, and Thomas Frank, who has kept Brentford competitive on a modest budget. Both fit the profile Parish has historically favoured: tactically progressive, comfortable developing players, and unlikely to demand a transfer war chest that would exceed what Palace’s self-sustaining model can deliver.
There is also the question of timing. If Glasner does lead Palace to the trophy in Leipzig, the post-match euphoria could complicate any swift transition. Parish will be conscious that pre-season begins in early July and that the Europa League or Conference League group-stage draw is scheduled for late August. The window for deliberation is narrow.
The Guardian noted that Parish was in tears during the lap of honour on Wednesday night, sixteen years after rescuing the club from administration. Sentiment will not drive this hire, but the stakes attached to it are clear. Palace are at a peak. The next appointment determines whether this is a summit or a foothold.