Oliver Glasner will return to Selhurst Park on Sunday when Nottingham Forest visit Crystal Palace, creating an emotionally charged occasion for supporters and the club’s boardroom.
Glasner remains a significant figure in Palace’s recent history after leading the south London club to the first three major trophies in its history within 12 months. His decision to join Forest, however, has left some Palace supporters unwilling to offer him a warm reception.
Palace chairman Steve Parish addressed the situation last week by asking fans to “buck the trend” and welcome the Austrian manager. Parish said he would be “mortified” if Glasner received anything other than an enthusiastic reception from the Selhurst crowd.
The strength of feeling is also linked to Forest and their owner, Evangelos Marinakis. Some Palace supporters continue to blame Marinakis for the circumstances that saw Palace demoted to the Conference League at Forest’s expense last season, adding another layer of tension to Sunday’s meeting.
Glasner is expected to take his place in the Forest dugout before the 2pm kick-off, when the reaction from the Palace support will reveal whether Parish’s appeal has changed the mood surrounding the former manager’s return.
