USMNT defender Chris Richards hails Oliver Glasner impact at Crystal Palace: He’s changed the mentality

Chris Richards praises Oliver Glasner for transforming Crystal Palace into a trophy-driven side after European win

Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards has credited outgoing manager Oliver Glasner with fundamentally transforming the mindset at the club.

Glasner is set to depart at the end of the season, bringing an end to a hugely influential spell in south London. During his tenure, he guided Palace to their first-ever FA Cup triumph, a historic achievement that underlined his impact both on and off the pitch.

The Eagles continued their strong form on the European stage with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Fiorentina in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final, further highlighting the progress made under the Austrian.

A new mentality at Selhurst Park

Speaking after the win, USMNT defender Richards was full of praise for Oliver Glasner’s influence, particularly when it comes to raising standards and expectations within the squad.

“The number one thing that he’s instilled since he came in is that he wants to kind of change the mentality of Palace.

“He wants to make this a club that wins trophies and I think even with the people that he brought, not just staff, but players as well, it’s just changed the mentality.

“We’re all kind of ‘drinking the Kool-Aid’ like we say back home. So we want to win more trophies and that’s exactly what we plan on doing.”

With the manager preparing to move on, Palace will now look to build on that foundation as they continue their push in Europe and beyond.

Chris Richards‘ priority from now until the end of the season is to push for more silverware in the form of the Conference League with Palace, before switching focus to the World Cup with the United States under Mauricio Pochettino.