Read on below for the Manager's key thoughts on our Finnish opponents, and Palace's hopes for the game...
The Manager on KuPS’ strengths & Palace’s European prospects
Oliver Glasner is anticipating it being an intriguing contest when Crystal Palace play host to Finnish league champions – and 2024 domestic double winners – KuPS Kuopio on Thursday (18th December, 20:00 GMT), with the Eagles likely needing three points to secure a top-eight finish.
On KuPS Kuopio...
They're a team who want to play football from the back, so they're one of the teams with the higher possession in the Conference league, not just in the Finnish league.
Also, sometimes the goals record tells a little bit: they have four [scored] to three [conceded], so they don't score a lot, but also they don't concede many.
For them it's an important game. They defended the title in the Finnish league, and now it's for them to get a win and qualify for the qualification round in February. I think they will be highly motivated.
Of course, we know their manager [Jarkko Wiss] will leave after the season. I've already read that Jaakko Oksanen, one of the midfield players, joins FC Kairat.
They're a team playing football, wanting to have possession and playing in a 4-2-2-2 system, very fluid, many players in the centre of the pitch.
It will be a nice game, it will be interesting, but as I mentioned, for us, it's to win the game and go straight into the round of last 16.
We're always paying every single one attention. We don't know how they will play, and so always have respect. Of course, I know Johannes Kreidl, the goalkeeper who played at my club where I was playing for 18 years, SV Ried.
Of course, we know Ibrahim Cissé, the centre-back, and Jaakko Oksanen, as I mentioned, and the striker who's got two goals, Piotr Parzyszek.
Every player, every team deserves the respect, and that's why we prepared in the same way that we prepared against City three days ago.
On his team's standards...
It's always the same.
It's a European night at Selhurst, so it's the fourth European game at Selhurst ever. Everybody should enjoy it, everybody should enter the pitch, I told the players, with a smile on their face and expressing themselves, and just showing why they are part of the squad and doing everything to win the game, and doing everything to support their teammates on the pitch.
That's what we expect in every single game and not more.
We have our foundation, and our foundation is always respecting the opposition, and looking at ourselves, and we have our standards, and the players know our standard is always giving 100%, and this is what we expect from each other, what we demand from each other, and this is the only thing I demand every single game.
There is no space for playing with maybe 95%, regardless which team we are playing. So that's what I expect tomorrow.
On qualification prospects...
To be honest, now I don't care what happens in February, because the two games will be at the end of February!
We hope that we get another game, the first semi-final game in the EFL Cup on the 13th of January, so we could play three game weeks until the 17th, but then the last two weeks in January will be definitely one game a week, because there are the two Champions League and Europa League games. That means we have these two weeks to recover, to train and then we will be ready again.
Of course, if it is, we will take the games, but of course we want to go straight to the knockout stage.
On Finland as a country...
I was in Finland watching João Klauss [who played for Glasner at LASK] live, and that was my, honestly, my only trip to Finland.
Not this year, but I would like to go there. I heard a lot about Finland, how nice it is, and about the polar lights in winter, and so I will go there definitely.
It's the country of lakes, and I think we have a very long border to Russia. I think you are number one in the world in education, in school. You don't know this, but I know it, because I have three children!
I think you are a role model. Finland is a role model in a few parts in our society.
And yeah, football, I think you can compare it with Austria. It's maybe not top of the world, but yeah, having two clubs now in the Conference League, and doing okay, both have the chance to qualify for the qualification round, so it's doing well.
On Academy players being involved...
First of all, the best thing is when you have a red line – when the Under-21s, maybe the Under-18s, have the same patterns than you have in the first team. It makes it much easier for the players.
It's just the pace of the game, the intensity is higher, but if you have different patterns, if you have different things that you are asked to do, that makes it difficult for them sometimes. So, yeah, a little information, and then let's do it.
Every experience, if you are open-minded, will help you in growing as a player or as a person. Being in this environment, being with the senior players, how they are preparing, what are they doing during the day.
If the whole day you're in your room and don't look left and right, then you don't take a lot from it. If you don't play, but on the other side, having the meetings – not just as a young player – that's what I want.
When I'm listening to somebody, then I'm in there, eyes open, ears open, and try to get as much input as possible and then thinking about it, what could work, what could I take for myself, and if the young players are doing it, it will help them in their whole career.
Again, for me, it's the first thing, staying grounded. For me it's not a question: if you want to become a professional football player, you should enjoy it when you get the chance, but that doesn't mean, as I said last time, one swallow doesn't make a summer.
You have just your little toe in the door, but you have to go through it. That doesn't mean you have to be afraid that it hurts, but also you can't jump through it.
It's about consistent training, ups and downs, like we have as a team. This is what every single player has, every single human being has, and I think as long as you accept this and you put a lot of effort, you will get it.
If you think, if I have played one game, now I have achieved everything, you will fail.
Match Details
Crystal Palace v KuPS Kuopio
- Thursday, 18th December
- 20:00 GMT
- UEFA Conference League
- Selhurst Park
- Tickets available here.