admin‘Abandoned’: Crystal Palace boss holds extraordinary press conference after Sunderland defeat
Crystal Palace struck first at the Stadium of Light, but Sunderland responded strongly to claim a 2–1 comeback victory, a result that sparked an explosive post-match reaction from Palace head coach Oliver Glasner.
Glasner launched a scathing attack on the club’s hierarchy, insisting his players had been “abandoned” amid the impending sale of captain Marc Guéhi to Manchester City.
The Austrian revealed he was only informed of the situation at 10:30am on Friday, by which time his match preparations were already complete.
“We’re selling our captain one day before a game,” Glasner said. “The first time I heard about it was 10:30 yesterday morning. All the set-pieces and the entire plan were done, and suddenly we had to change everything. Nobody told us, and then I have to stand in front of the squad and explain that the captain won’t play.”
Glasner praised his players’ efforts despite the disruption, explaining his frustration stemmed from a desire to defend them. “I see how hard they work every day, and that’s why I’m so direct.
For 50 to 60 minutes, the performance was really good. This is a difficult place to come, and many teams have struggled here. That’s what makes the ending so frustrating.”
Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris, meanwhile, felt his side deserved the win, particularly after the break. “Especially in the second half, yes, I think we earned it,” he said.
“They started better and found ways to play through our pressure, going long to Mateta and Devenny for flick-ons, which caused us some problems. But gradually we found solutions.
We changed a few details at half-time, kept our midfielders more connected rather than overloading the wide areas, and that helped our build-up and balance in transition.
“Step by step, we imposed our intentions, and that’s a positive sign. Today was about maturity and consistency, and I think the team showed both.”
admin
