Glasner says Nottingham Forest move was unplanned after Palace exit
Oliver Glasner says his move to Nottingham Forest was not planned when he decided to leave Crystal Palace, where he won three trophies. Ahead of Sunday’s return to Selhurst Park, he recognises some Palace fans may boo him, amid tensions over the clubs’ European places and his move to Forest.
Glasner says he chose not to renew his Palace contract last October, then opted for Forest in the summer for different reasons. His Palace record includes the FA Cup, Conference League and Community Shield; the article also notes that Palace were demoted to the Conference League after Forest raised concerns with Uefa about multi-club ownership rules. Glasner says he will speak candidly and accept that not everyone agrees with his choices.
- Glasner says joining Forest was not part of an earlier plan.
- He left Palace after winning three trophies.
- He expects a mixed reception at Selhurst Park.
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Oliver Glasner managed Crystal Palace for two years, winning three major trophies including the FA Cup and European Conference League. He left the club last October and moved to Nottingham Forest, one of Palace's main rivals, the following summer.
The move created tension between the two clubs and their supporters. Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest compete directly for European qualification places, and their relationship deteriorated when Forest raised concerns with Uefa about multi-club ownership structures. This dispute contributed to Palace's demotion from European competition.
Glasner has stated that his initial decision to leave Palace was not planned with joining Forest in mind. However, his subsequent move to join a rival club during their conflict disappointed many Palace supporters.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Glasner made rational career decisions as a manager entitled to pursue better opportunities. His departure from Palace and subsequent move to Forest were separate decisions responding to different circumstances; he did not plan the Forest move when leaving Palace, meaning he simply took an opportunity that arose. Managers have legitimate career ambitions alongside their professional duties, and moving between clubs remains standard practice in football management. Forest presented a distinct challenge with different resources and objectives than Palace offered.
The case against
Glasner's move carries the appearance of opportunism given the circumstances. He left Palace after achieving considerable success there, then joined Forest—a direct European rival that had just benefited from the multi-club ownership issue leading to Palace's European demotion. Whether or not Glasner bears responsibility for the UEFA situation, the timing creates understandable grievances for Palace supporters who feel their club was structurally undermined by Forest's ownership, only to see their successful manager then pursue an opportunity with the beneficiary. This suggests personal advancement took precedence over acknowledgement of the broader context.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Oliver Glasner: ‘There was no plan for me to be Nottingham Forest manager’”.