Crystal Palace’s board did not know Oliver Glasner was going to announce he was leaving the club ahead of Saturday’s loss to Sunderland, talkSPORT understands.
The news caught senior figures at Palace by surprise, even though confirming Glasner’s end-of-season exit was officially billed as a joint-decision, and one made to coincide with the departure of Marc Guehi to Manchester City this winter.
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Glasner has endured a tumultuous few days as Crystal Palace bossCredit: AFP
Glasner again referenced Guehi’s departure in the aftermath of the 2-1 loss to Sunderland saying he felt “abandoned” at the club, adding he “didn’t know” if he would be at Palace come the end of the season.
As the Austrian referenced in his bombshell pre-match press conference on Friday, he confirmed to Palace chairman Steve Parish in October he would depart the club at the end of the season.
It is understood Palace were therefore expecting news of Glasner’s impending exit to come out later in the season rather than on Friday.
talkSPORT understands Glasner and Parish are yet to formally speak about the latest explosive post-match comments.
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Sources close to Glasner insist the Palace boss does not want to quit, but those close to the Palace dressing room have told talkSPORT they believe the 51-year-old Austrian is trying to get fired.
Parish will now be tasked with clearing the air in the coming days with tensions growing at Selhurst Park.
No decision is expected on Saturday night on Glasner’s future, nor have Palace set a formal meeting to discuss it.
Instead, Palace’s board are currently more concerned with how best to turn around a winless run of 10 games during a busy New Year period.
In the midst of the alarming streak, Palace were dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league side Macclesfield FC in what was the biggest upset in tournament history.
Palace last tasted victory on December 11, which came in the form of a 3-0 win away to Irish club Shelbourne in a Conference League tie.
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The Austrian has not minced his words in the last 48 hoursCredit: Getty
The club have already broken their transfer record to sign Brennan Johnson for £35m from Spurs and are now expected to add another centre-back ahead of Guehi’s immiment move to Manchester City.
The Palace captain will undergo a medical on Sunday.
Those close to Glasner are not ruling out a mid-season exit, but Palace’s board are keen to avoid any knee-jerk reactions until time has been taken to assess both the current run of form and their manager’s level of commitment until the end of the season.
Given Glasner’s future departure, which could be brought forward by Palace should they deem necessary, attention will soon shift towards who replaces the Austrian at Selhurst Park.
talkSPORT understands the Eagles have been exploring replacements for Glasner since last year.
Rayo Vallecano’s Inigo Perez and Getafe’s Pepe Bordalas have both been approached, while Liam Rosenior was also on the list but has since joined Chelsea.
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Glasner guided Palace to the greatest moment in the club’s historyCredit: Getty
With the Eagles flying back from Sunderland on Saturday night, there was no formal opportunity for Glasner to speak with Parish following his explosive post-match comments.
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The late flight also meant Parish did not have the chance to speak with the Palace board on how to proceed with the next steps.
It means Sunday could be a day of key developments in a rapidly evolving situation as all parties try and get on the same page.