Oliver Glasner is on the verge of becoming Nottingham Forest’s new head coach, a move that has stunned many Crystal Palace supporters and reignited tensions between the two clubs. Reports indicate Forest have agreed terms with the Austrian after dismissing Vítor Pereira, with Glasner set to become the club’s fifth manager in less than a year.
Glasner left Selhurst Park when his contract expired after overseeing the most successful spell in Crystal Palace’s history. During his two-and-a-half years in charge, he guided the Eagles to their first major trophy by winning the FA Cup, secured the Community Shield, delivered the UEFA Conference League title and led the club into European competition for the first time.
Despite those achievements, the prospect of Glasner taking charge of Forest has generated a wave of criticism from sections of the Palace fanbase.
The relationship between the clubs deteriorated after Crystal Palace were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League because of UEFA’s multi-club ownership regulations. Nottingham Forest subsequently took Palace’s place in the Europa League after raising concerns with UEFA about the ownership situation involving former Palace shareholder John Textor. Palace’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was unsuccessful, leaving many supporters feeling their club had been unfairly treated.
That episode created lasting hostility between the clubs, with Palace supporters directing protests towards Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis throughout the following season.
Glasner’s final months in south London were also far from straightforward. The departures of key players, uncertainty surrounding Marc Guéhi’s future and disagreements over the club’s transfer strategy created tension behind the scenes. A poor run of results even raised doubts over how his tenure would conclude before Palace recovered to lift the Conference League trophy and give the Austrian a memorable farewell.
Forest now believe Glasner is the ideal coach to lead their next phase after deciding to part company with Pereira despite the Portuguese guiding the club to Premier League safety and a Europa League semi-final. Club owner Marinakis is understood to believe Glasner’s track record of winning trophies and developing teams makes him the right long-term appointment.
The managerial switch is expected to be followed by another busy transfer window. Forest are preparing for significant squad changes following the anticipated sale of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City, while reports suggest Glasner could target players he previously coached at Crystal Palace.
For Palace supporters, however, the emotional response extends beyond football. While many continue to regard Glasner as the greatest manager in the club’s history, his expected move to a club viewed by some fans as a rival has complicated his legacy.
Whether time softens those feelings remains to be seen, but Glasner’s return to the Premier League is already one of the summer’s most controversial managerial appointments.
