Angry Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner takes aim at EFL for showing disrespect towards Conference League

Oliver Glasner has criticised the English Football League for what he perceives to be a lack of respect towards his Crystal Palace side competing in the Conference League.

Palace appear to be struggling with the return to domestic football following their European outings, winning just once after eight fixtures in the Conference League this season. 

The Eagles are gearing up to play Arsenal in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening – a week later than the other quarter finals – after the EFL moved the fixture due to Palace playing Finnish side Kups on Thursday. 

However, Palace’s fixture list is piling up, having played Manchester City four days before that Conference League tie. Glasner’s men travelled to Leeds just two days later, too.

And the Palace boss has taken aim at the EFL for what he believes are demands Champions League or Europa League clubs would not have to abide by. 

‘This is the only criticism for me to the EFL,’ Glasner said following Palace’s 4-1 defeat at Leeds.

Crystal Palace have won just one game following their eight European ties this campaign

‘I think to fix a round when a Conference League is played just shows also the [lack of] respect for the Conference League because they would never fix a round when there is a Champions League round or a Europa League round. 

‘So I think that’s maybe the problem for the game we have to play now, and why we have to play in three days again. 

‘But it shows that we are in four competitions and we want these games, we want this amount of games, and it’s not to complain about it. We are never complaining about the amount of games.’ 

Palace, whose game against Leeds was their fourth in 10 days, host Tottenham on Sunday. That tie then kicks off a run of four games in 11 days. 

The EFL has previously been critical of the ‘expansion of European cup competitions’, saying in November that this was brought forward ‘without adequate consultation with domestic leagues’.

It also said it had scheduling conflicts are ‘now entirely unavoidable’ despite their ‘willingness to compromise’.