Although the transfer window is going very differently from that of their opponents, Crystal Palace has pulled off another coup in the Community Shield against Liverpool. Will there be another one on Monday?
It took almost 120 years for the club to win its first title, but only another 85 days for its second: Crystal Palace capped its sensational FA Cup victory over Manchester City with an almost equally sensational triumph in the Community Shield against champions Liverpool. And Oliver Glasner had no intention of letting the renewed celebrations be overshadowed by the noise surrounding his club off the pitch.
“Today is a day to celebrate,” was the coach’s message after his team’s 3-2 penalty shootout victory over the Reds, who had spent around €300 million on new players, despite falling behind early on. One secret to success: “Before we drove to Wembley, I showed the players a video of the fans celebrating after the FA Cup win. We call it the emotional reward: standing in front of the fans and feeling that emotion – you can’t buy that with all the money in the world.”
This also fits in well with Palace because it doesn’t have as much of it as much of its Premier League rivals. While Liverpool is lining up million-dollar transfers this summer, Glasner is threatening to get reinforcements late, against his will, as he did last year – if at all. On top of that, the loss of his defensive leader and captain is taking shape.
Palace does not want to lose Guehi on a free transfer
Because Marc Guehi continues to refuse to extend his contract, which expires in 2026, Palace is open to a sale during this transfer window. “Of course we would have to do that,” said club boss Steve Parish after the Community Shield. “When players of this caliber leave on a free transfer, it’s unfortunately a problem for us.”
Last year, Palace rejected offers from Newcastle in the region of €60 million for Guehi, and an even higher bid from Tottenham in January. Now the Eagles are said to be demanding at least around €45 million. A hot candidate is Sunday’s opponent Liverpool, who have still not replaced Jarell Quansah, who now plays for Leverkusen.
It is therefore quite possible that Glasner’s squad will soon deteriorate rather than improve. “I admire Oliver very much. He just wants to win trophies and football matches,“ Parish praised his coach in this difficult situation. ”The Premier League is kind of crazy, the money people spend and the financial risks they take. We will do everything we can in the coming weeks to give ourselves the best chance. But ultimately, we don’t have unlimited funds.”
This Monday, the CAS will decide on Palace’s participation in the Europa League
It would help Palace if it were allowed to start in the Europa League after all in the new season. The ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case is expected this Monday. UEFA had relegated the London club to the Conference League for violating “multi-club ownership” rules, but Palace appealed to the CAS. After Friday’s hearing, Parish was more confident than ever that the club would still receive the sporting reward for winning the FA Cup.
Glasner is simply waiting and focusing on his work. When asked on Sunday whether he would trade the Community Shield for Europa League participation, he replied unequivocally: “No.”
