Hughes on Palace's Final mentality and Glasner send-off
Will Hughes says Crystal Palace’s collective resolve has been key to them reaching the UEFA Conference League Final in their first season in European competition.
The Eagles’ longest-ever season on record will culminate with a continental final on Wednesday evening in Leipzig – the 60th match of a marathon campaign, one which will conclude with the chance to win a third piece of silverware in just over a year.
Hughes, who has featured 48 times in total this season – including in 12 of Palace’s 16 European games – says the way the team have stuck together through the ups and downs – from impressive performances against the likes of Fiorentina and Shakhtar Donetsk, to a challenging winless run in the winter – means they have earned their spot in Wednesday’s Final.
There, they will need to stay resilient again against a talented Rayo Vallecano side, in order to have a chance of sealing silverware again.
“It feels like years ago we started this campaign with Fredrikstad at home!” Hughes laughed. “There are always ups and downs throughout the course of a season, and that's happened to us. I think we've dealt with it really well as a group of players.
“It’s testament to the group of players that we've always stuck by each other, whoever's playing. We've had a small squad for quite a large part of the season, and it'll be our 60th game, which is quite incredible for a club like Palace. I think our success has come from sticking together internally.
“We’re a confident group, but never arrogant. I think that's been a key part of our success. No-one has a right to win silverware, no-one has a right to win the Final. I think we've earned it [the Final spot] throughout the season, playing with intensity, and everyone's stuck together.
“I think that's been the core to our success. We’ve got confidence going into the Final.”
Wednesday’s game will be Oliver Glasner’s last in charge of Crystal Palace, with Hughes hoping it proves a fond farewell for the club’s most successful manager.
The midfielder said: “Obviously, what Oliver's done for us has been fantastic. He's helped us get our first silverware as a club, and for many of us as individuals. We're all forever grateful for him.
“It’s exciting to hopefully give him a proper send-off as well. That's part of the motivation, for what he's done for us as players and as a club. To send him off with a trophy would be a nice thing.
“He’s got massive trust and respect for us as a group of players, and likewise we have for him as a manager.”
He brought in fresh ideas and things that I'd not seen before
—Will Hughes
Asked how Glasner had helped develop his own game, Hughes smiled: “In plenty of ways. I can't pinpoint exactly what, but there have been loads of minor changes tactically.
“He came in when I was 28, so you'd like to think I'd knew quite a lot tactically, but he brought in fresh ideas and things that I'd not seen before.
“[The way he trains] is intense, it's demanding. If you don't do it during the week, you can't expect to just turn it on at the weekend, so to speak. It's helped us massively.”
As for Rayo Vallecano, the eight-placed finishers in La Liga who are hoping to lift their first-ever major trophy, Hughes noted: “We’ve respect for ourselves and respect for the opposition as well. We've watched Rayo just as much as we would any other team.
“We prepare the same way. They're a top team. There's a reason why they're in the Final. They'll be the best team we've faced to date.
“It'll be a good final, hopefully.”
2026 UEFA Conference League Final
Crystal Palace v Rayo Vallecano
- Wednesday, 27th May
- 20:00 BST UK time / 21:00 CEST local time
- Leipzig Stadium, Germany
- Live audio commentary on Palace TV+
- Visit our Conference League Final Hub