The last 15 months have been something akin to a fever dream for fans of Crystal Palace. Having not won a single major trophy in the entirety of our history, last May’s FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City saw multiple generations of the club’s fanbase realise lifelong dreams, standing shoulder to shoulder beneath the sunshine at Wembley Stadium.
With that victory came the prospect of a European tour: a challenge the club had never faced before, but one we passed with flying colours. Palace went on to win the Uefa Conference League, defeating Rayo Vallecano at Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena at the end of last season.
Oliver Glasner was the architect of those successes. Parachuted into the role in February 2024 to replace an ailing Roy Hodgson, Glasner immediately set about altering what the players, supporters and owners of Crystal Palace believed was possible.
From the moment the former Eintracht Frankfurt manager set foot in south London, he forced everyone to ask: “What if?” While that felt like something of an alien concept at first, it has since shown everyone of a red-and-blue persuasion that there is no harm in aiming for the stars.
Sage was a surprise candidate to take over (Photo: Getty)
