Oliver Glasner attended the media at the press conference prior to the final against Rayo Vallecano. The Crystal Palace coach stated that they have analyzed Rayo in depth and highlighted the work of the Spanish coaches this season in Europe. It will be the last game of the Austrian coach before leaving the London club and hopes to close the stage with another title.
What would it mean to win a European title for the second time?: “We thought we were going to play in the Europa League, we deserved it after winning the FA Cup. But we accepted it. Maybe it is not the most interesting competition for those who play in the Champions League, but for us it is. We have savored it from the first game. It has been difficult for us to gain experience but all of it has helped us.”
The finals: “It is incredible for any coach to play two finals in four years with two different clubs. I have played in the final of the German and English cups. It would mean a lot to me to win this tournament with this club. We have worked very hard.”
Support: “Many friends are going to come to see me. I don’t want to order which ending is more important. It means that we have done many things well.”
Dean said winning the final would be the great film to close his time at Palace: “I know he doesn’t understand German, but it would mean a lot, both for me, the club and the players. It would be a fantastic culmination. Tomorrow is sport and you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Wharton and Richards: “They have been training this morning. There are hours left and at the last minute we will decide. We will see if they are ready to start or not.”
Basque coaches in finals: “I don’t know what they feed them in the Basque Country. Yeremy will know better. The three of them are doing very well. We don’t know what the secret is.”
Did you think you would reach this final when you announced your departure?: “I never think. I think positive things. When they play such a long season there are always difficult moments. You have to go through them. In December we had a difficult time, although I knew that when the injured players recovered we would be competitive. We were able to focus on the Conference. We realize that there is more noise than we think. We have a very close relationship and I have told them what I want. I want to get the most out of them, but I don’t want them to agree with me all the time. There are many ways of working and we can debate. I like that they agree with me. feedback“.
Kamada: “I don’t want to praise some more than others. We are going to change during the game. Even if we go to penalties we would play with six different players. We need everyone ready. Daichi is a player in important games. In the biggest games is when he performs best. We were in Frankfurt together, we played in the Champions League…”.
Farewell to the group: “I had a farewell talk and said a few words. For me, the most important thing is to win tomorrow and guarantee a place for next year. I would be happy to see them on television playing the Europa League with the same desire next year.”
Superstitions: “No. In the Europa League we did not train in the same stadium because we did not have time. These are things that cannot be done there and that is why we started training in our stadium. There we draw the curtain and no one knows. This year because of UEFA it has not been like that and we have had to show the full training hour. It is not a matter of superstition.”
Preparation: “We will be calm. What we have done so far and what we have not been able to do or transmit, we will not do tomorrow. We have seen Rayo many League and Conference games. In many scenarios. Then we will have dinner and I hope that no one goes to a bar or drinks (laughs). It is important to activate our heads, it will be a long day.”