Oliver Glasner: 'There was no plan for me to be Nottingham Forest manager'
Quick summary
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner says his move to Nottingham Forest was unplanned, revealing details about the circumstances that led to the appointment.
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Attributed to original sourceOn Sunday, Austrian returns to Crystal Palace, the club he left in the summer after leading them to unprecedented success, but accepts there could be ‘booing’
Oliver Glasner puffs his cheeks and starts the search for the right words to explain his emotions as he prepares to return to Crystal Palace for the first time since leaving. There is the small matter of heading back on Sunday with Nottingham Forest to Selhurst Park, where bitterness runs deep over the club seizing Palace’s place in the Europa League last season. Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, is suing Palace for defamation relating to a banner unfurled by their supporters and the rivalry heightened when Glasner joined Forest in the summer, 40 days after winning the Conference League with Palace.
“I know I will be, but I don’t want to be in the middle of all the comments and the stories about this game,” he says in the boardroom at Forest’s training base. By which point Glasner, a charismatic and intelligent individual who studied for an economics degree while a player in Austria, has turned to Faust, by the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, to explain how he feels about facing his previous club. “Two hearts are beating in my chest,” he says, tapping his torso, alluding to a line in the classic play. “Here is a little bit similar, because we had a little bit more than two great years [at Palace].”
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What happened
Oliver Glasner, who has been appointed as Nottingham Forest manager, has spoken publicly about how the opportunity arose. He stated that there was no original plan for him to take the Forest job, suggesting the appointment came about through unexpected circumstances rather than a long-term strategy. Glasner is known for his successful tenure at Crystal Palace, where he guided the club to an FA Cup triumph. His move to Forest represents a significant shift in the Premier League managerial landscape, as Forest look to build on their recent resurgence under new ownership.
Chance analysis
Glasner's revelation that his Forest move was unplanned speaks to the reactive nature of the Premier League's managerial carousel. A coach of his pedigree — fresh off an FA Cup win at Crystal Palace — joining Forest signals serious intent from the City Ground hierarchy, but the candidness about the lack of long-term planning hints at turbulence behind the scenes. For Palace, losing a manager who delivered their first major trophy in decades is a seismic blow; for Forest, the upside is obvious if Glasner can replicate that magic.
Glasner's appointment strengthens Nottingham Forest's management significantly but leaves Crystal Palace needing a new direction after losing a trophy-winning coach.