Crystal Palace v Rayo Vallecano: How Oliver Glassner’s Eagles reached the Europa Conference League final | football news

Game 60. The longest season in Crystal Palace’s history reaches its final destination. Leipzig.

Their European journey began so early that Eberechi Eze was still registered as a Palace player when they got past Fredrikstad in a play-off to secure their Conference League place.

Eze has a shot at Champions League glory this weekend, on Wednesday it will carry English hopes to his former team who are on the continent.

The road to a first European final was far from straightforward. The sensation of three successful visits to Wembley and a club-record 19-match unbeaten run unraveled over the winter and proceeded to self-destruct in January.

Being knocked out of the competition by FA Cup holders Macclesfield – a team ranked 117 places below them in the football pyramid – was just the beginning.

Six days later, club captain Mark Guihy was being sold and his manager Oliver Glasner confirmed his intention to follow him out the door a few months later.

Just 24 hours later, a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland – the 10th match in a row without a win – and Glasner’s post-match reaction was extraordinary.

The Austrian accused the club of “completely abandoning” his squad. His position seemed almost unbearable. Fans feel disrespected as Palace’s season continues to decline. Relegation seemed unlikely, but could not be ignored.

Yet Glasner continued and Palace entered the knockout stages of the Conference League. The train almost remains on track.

Palace belied their tag as one of the pre-tournament favorites with some inept and underwhelming performances in front of their home fans and overseas supporters.

A 1-0 home defeat to lowly AEK Larnaca in October was dark but not disastrous. Palace did enough to progress from the group stage. Glassner admitted himself when speaking Sky Sports News Last week, “it didn’t feel like a special journey at first”.

But then came a great night under the lights at Selhurst Park. Almost three months after the Macclefield humiliation, the club came together to deliver an evening to remember.

The legendary Fiorentina went to the sword and all bad feelings evaporated. The mission to deliver a European Cup seemed the only important thing to sign off on in the Glasner era.

“The closer we get to the final, the more I feel it’s special. Everyone gets a special feeling. The home game against Fiorentina is the first time I’ve felt it, it’s a special night,” said Glasner, reflecting on the road in Leipzig.

An impressive win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals secured their place in East Germany.

The recurring theme that has remained constant throughout the season has been the remarkable unity of the playing squad and the confidence that they will take to the Red Bull Arena on May 27.

Will backed this up when talking to Hughes Sky Sports News Ahead of upcoming final: “We’ve always had that belief. It was never arrogance. But we deserved to be there (in the final). There have been a lot of ups and downs throughout the season. We’ve dealt with it very well as players”.

Brennan Johnson was struck by the “unbelievable” bond within the playing squad after arriving in January – the best he has experienced in football. A brilliant endorsement considering the chaos that surrounded the club that month.

The reunion of troubled striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose deadline day move to AC Milan collapsed, speaks volumes about the character of the group. Equally impressive was their ability to shut out the extraneous noise that was always swirling around the club.

For some, the Crystal Palace is a stepping stone to something bigger. Just look at the career paths of Eze, Guehi and Michael Olise. Maxence Lacroix, Adam Wharton and Mateta could be next. But as long as they’re wearing blue and red, they’ll give it their all.

They arrive in Leipzig as favourites, managed by a manager who has already won a European trophy in the form of the Europa League. They will be roared on by an intensely loyal, grounded and enthusiastic fanbase.

Palace’s own history – suffering administrations as recently as 2010 that plunged them into a Championship relegation battle – allows them to embrace these moments without assuming they will repeat themselves.

The grip they have had at times this season has been justified. Their frustration never came from a sense of entitlement.

Their hopes of building on last summer’s magical FA Cup triumph appear to have been crushed by a cruel UEFA ruling, a slow summer recruitment drive and a depleted playing squad.

But somehow they are now 90 minutes away from European glory. And Glassner is hours away from his final performance.

In his last interview with Dr Sky Sports News Before taking charge of his last match in charge, he highlighted the significance of what he had achieved and what was at stake.

“I promised in January that I would give 100 percent to Oliver Glasner until the day I leave. I get very emotional when I hear what we can give the fans (after winning the FA Cup). They said it was the best day of their lives.

“Maybe they’ll say ‘Leipzig was the best day of my life’. It’s part of our life but as a manager there’s always an end. When you leave, what’s left? Giving them one of the best days of their life, which stays with them forever. That’s the biggest achievement for me.”

Glassner’s status as Crystal Palace’s greatest ever manager was cemented by unforgettable Wembley memories. A glorious German farewell will immortalize his place in Eagles folklore.