Oliver Glasner has lauded Daichi Kamada as a ‘big game player’ as Crystal Palace prepare for their Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday night.
Glasner is set to depart the club, with Crystal Palace aiming for their third major trophy in two seasons under his leadership.
A Strong Player-Manager Relationship
Kamada and Glasner’s partnership spans four seasons. Their collaborations include playing in all three tiers of European football. They also combined in Frankfurt’s Europa League victory.
That win propelled them into the Champions League the following season. Kamada then followed Glasner to Selhurst Park. There, he became a key member of the FA Cup and Community Shield-winning teams.
Now, they’re in the Conference League final, the first European final in Crystal Palace’s history. Kamada and Glasner are aiming for a fourth major trophy together.
Glasner’s Comments on Kamada’s Abilities
Glasner acknowledged the bond he shares with Kamada. While he didn’t want to single out any one player before the final, he made an exception for the Japanese midfielder.
He said: “I don’t want to praise somebody more than the others, because I definitely know we will start with 11, and a different 11 will end the game.
“My only and last experience playing in a European final was going into penalties, and we had six substitutions, that means 60% of the starters are on the bench, and six new players are on the pitch.
“Therefore, we need every single one being ready to help the team and fulfilling his job.
“Daichi seems to be a player for big games. Very often the bigger the game is, the better his performance is.
“I know him now, we worked together for four years now, two years at Frankfurt and it was the Europa League final he had a fantastic performance, also scoring a penalty.
“Then when we played Champions League football, we had to win at Sporting Lisbon, he scored the 2-1, the penalty when we won and qualified for the round of last 16 in the Champions League.
“He had a fantastic performance in the FA Cup final so it seems that the bigger the games are the better Daichi is, and hopefully he proves me right tomorrow.”
Potential Parting on a High Note
Palace and Kamada could conclude their time together, at least for now, with a European trophy. They face either ultimate glory or heartbreak at the final hurdle.
Oliver Glasner hails ‘big game player’ Daichi Kamada ahead of Conference League finalEither way, it has been some ride and one that has brought memorable silverware for both clubs.