Glasner seeks Conference League farewell trophy as Foden omission reignites schedule debate

Oliver Glasner will end his Crystal Palace tenure on Wednesday when the Eagles face Rayo Vallecano in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig, with the departing Austrian manager telling his squad that winning the trophy would be the finest farewell gift they could offer him.

Glasner, who has transformed Palace since taking charge, said victory would matter most not for the silverware itself but for what it would unlock. “The best thing would be winning tomorrow — but not for winning tomorrow, but because then they plan European football in the Europa League next year,” he said. “I would like to watch on TV that they would start their Europa League with the desire and the confidence that they can win the Europa League as well. This would make me really happy.”

Elsewhere, Phil Foden’s omission from Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad has drawn a sharp response from PFA chief executive Maheta Molango, who described the Manchester City midfielder as a casualty of an unsustainable fixture calendar. Foden was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2024 but endured a difficult 2024-25 season at club level.

“Phil was voted less than two years ago by his peers as the best player of the Premier League,” said Molango, who also serves on the board of world players’ union FIFPRO. “Unfortunately, he is one of the victims of this crazy calendar that only makes sense for those who pursue commercial gain to the detriment of the quality of the show, and to the detriment of the protection of those who should be football heritage.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea winger Noni Madueke has insisted the pressure on Arsenal has not eased despite the Gunners clinching the Premier League title by defeating Manchester City. Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on Saturday, and Madueke argued that their domestic triumph would count for little once the match kicks off.

“It is definitely better that we won the Premier League before we go into the Champions League final,” Madueke said. “But I just don’t know if we will be thinking about that. We will be thinking about getting another one, and the Premier League will be irrelevant.” The comments underline the magnitude of a final that could define Arsenal’s season regardless of their title success.