One of the hottest rising stars in European football management is Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who has led the Eagles to new heights in his few years at the club.
The 51-year-old Austrian has been in football management for just over a decade, and has overseen tangible growth at each of his five head-coaching gigs.
The latest may be his most impressive, however. Glasner joined Crystal Palace in February of 2024 and had an immediate effect, leading the club to its highest-ever points tally in the Premier League. He would follow that up with the club's first-ever major trophy, an FA Cup title to finish the 2024/25 journey strong and see the Eagles qualify for Europe.
Palace then carried over that strong form into the start of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign and were the last remaining unbeaten team six matches into the new league season after beating defending champions Liverpool 2-1 in late September.
The Sporting News looks at Glasner's profile as manager, including what clubs he has coached, where he began his career, his tactical preferences, and how his playing career ended.
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Oliver Glasner career, teams coached
Glasner began his administrative career as part of the Red Bull football setup, eventually joining Roger Schmidt's staff at RB Salzburg as an assistant coach in 2012 at the behest of Ralf Rangnick.
When Schmidt was hired by Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2014, Glasner began his own head-coaching career at Austrian club SV Ried where he spent nearly his entire playing career.
After one season at Reid, he signed on to lead Austrian side LASK, the only other club he played for, as both manager and director of football. He would lead the club to promotion to the top flight in his second season, earning a Europa League place the following year with a fourth-place finish, and ultimately concluding with a second-place finish in his fourth season, qualifying the club for the Champions League.
It was then that he would leave for German side Wolfsburg, securing his first coaching job at a club in a "big five" European league. His two seasons at Wolfsburg both ended in European qualification, including a Champions League spot in the second, but a poor relationship with sporting director Jorg Schmadtke and team captain Josuha Guilavogui led to his departure, with Guilavogui claiming he was "happy" that Glasner had left.
Wolfsburg's trash was Eintracht Frankfurt's treasure, and Glasner would sign on to lead the Bundesliga side in May of 2021. While it took time to get going at his new home, he would eventually lead them to the 2022 Europa League title to cap off the campaign. The next year, they advanced through the Champions League group stage before a Round of 16 exit, while also reaching the DFB-Pokal final.
A poor second half of the league season led Glasner to depart Frankfurt after two seasons, and he would go a few months without work before joining Crystal Palace in February of 2024, replacing Roy Hodgson. By the end of the 2023/24 season, Palace would have 49 points, the most in the club's top-flight history. The following season, he would lead the Eagles to their first-ever major trophy, an FA Cup title, by defeating Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.
Oliver Glasner managerial record, stats
Data up to date as of Sep. 27, 2025.
| Club | From | To | G | W-D-L | Win % |
| SV Ried | May 12, 2014 | May 25, 2015 | 37 | 13-7-17 | 35.1% |
| LASK Linz | Jul. 1, 2015 | Jul. 1, 2019 | 161 | 94-32-35 | 58.4% |
| VfL Wolfsburg | Jul. 1, 2019 | Jun. 30, 2021 | 87 | 41-22-24 | 47.1% |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | Jul. 1, 2021 | Jun. 30, 2023 | 97 | 38-30-29 | 39.2% |
| Crystal Palace | Feb. 19, 2024 | Present | 70 | 32-23-15 | 45.7% |
Oliver Glasner formation, tactics, style of play
While Glasner is a product of the Red Bull football factory, he is a versatile coach who can adapt tactically to both his own squad and the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent.
Glasner's favoured formation is a 3-4-2-1, with the three central defenders supported by a double pivot in midfield. He uses his wing-backs to provide width, but they do not get too aggressive so they can recover to defend when needed. Even when utilising a 4-2-3-1, it ends up looking similar, as one full-back presses high while a midfielder moves further forward in possession to become a second No. 10.
While Crystal Palace are not a direct team, they do look to move the ball forward quickly and through combination play rather than dribbling. In 2024/25, Crystal Palace ranked dead last in take-ons attempted, and in the bottom three in short- and medium-distance pass attempts. In contrast, they were eighth in the Premier League in long-pass attempts, although they ranked second-to-last in completion percentage. This is because Palace used long balls as an opportunity to press, able to create chaos even when failing to complete the initial deep delivery.
Out of possession, the team will often drop into a 5-2-3 or a 5-4-1 depending on how deep they are defending. They will trigger presses in different areas, never getting too aggressive but also not allowing the opposition to build comfortably. The front three will guild the opponent into predetermined traps whenever able, and the midfield two will take turns pushing up to block central entry points.
Everything is about timing in Glasner's system, knowing when to trigger pressure and when to sit back and trap opposition ball-carriers. The focus usually rests with the forwards forcing opposition possession out wide, where the full-backs can pressure using the touchline as an extra defender. This allows everyone else to remain in their positions and not lose their shape. The centre-backs can track subsequent runners, while the forwards can pressure any back-passes.
One of the hallmarks of Glasner's management is his ability to use the strengths of his players in creative ways both in and out of possession. For example, he has occasionally dropped striker Jean-Philippe Mateta deep to help defend, using his aerial prowess to aid the back line when an opponent begins to lean heavily on aerial entries into the penalty area.
Was Oliver Glasner a player?
Glasner enjoyed a lengthy 18-year career as a player, playing along the back line and spending nearly his entire career with Austrian side SV Ried.
He made 519 career appearances for the club between 1993 and 2011, scoring 27 goals. The only spell away from Ried was a short loan spell to LASK where he only made three appearances during the 2003/04 season.
As a SV Ried player, Glasner would lift the Austrian Cup twice, first in 1998 and again in 2011, his final professional season.
Did Oliver Glasner have a stroke?
In July of 2011, Glasner suffered a terrifying injury that nearly cost him his life, although it was not a stroke.
Glasner suffered an injury during a clash of heads in a league match against Rapid Wien. Then 36, he sustained a cut above his eye and a concussion but remained available for selection.
At the time, less was publicly known about the dangers of "second-impact syndrome." After suffering a concussion, the brain is highly susceptible to further injury should it suffer further trauma.
Indeed, that is what happened to Glasner. While preparation for the ensuing Europa League match against Brondby, Glasner participated in a heading drill and suffered a brain haemorrhage. After feeling unwell at the hotel later that day, he was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.
That would be the end of his playing career as he was forced to hang up his boots on the advice of the medical staff. "The doctors advised me never to play again," Glasner said at the time, revealing he was planning retirement the following summer anyway. "It makes no sense to risk everything just to play football for another six months. That would be a big risk for my family and myself."
Oliver Glasner wife, family
Glasner is married to his wife, Bettina.
The two tied the knot in 2007, and she has been a staunch supporter of her husband's career, often pictured at matches in the crowd.
The pair have three children together: Julian, Niklas, and Alina.