Latest news with #DougieFreedman
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Crystal Palace downplay John Textor's involvement in bid to save Europa League place
Crystal Palace have told Uefa that John Textor had no role in the hiring of manager Oliver Glasner, with the club attempting to downplay the American's involvement as they bid to keep their place in next season's Europa League. The club have provided evidence aimed at proving that the American played no part in the process of hiring Glasner, reports the Times, with said evidence reportedly including 'submitting communication between Dougie Freedman, then the sporting director, and [co-owner] Steve Parish'. It is said that subsequent correspondence between Glasner, Freedman and Parish was also included. Textor's stake in Palace is central to the issue of whether the club will be allowed into the Europa League as he also owns 77 per cent of French side Lyon, with Palace needing to convince Uefa that Textor does not have 'decisive influence' on the club. Textor recently sold his 42.9 per cent stake in the club to try and aid Palace's case and also stepped down as a president and board member of Lyon, though both of these moves came after the 1 March deadline that teams are required to meet in order to be compliant with Uefa's multi-club rules. But with Lyon having been relegated to Ligue 2 pending an appeal, Uefa have delayed a decision on Palace's case until Lyon's appeal is heard. Palace originally earned a place in the Europa League via their win in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, though their spot in the competition is hanging in the balance as they wait for Uefa's verdict. If Lyon were to win said appeal, it could mean that Palace are demoted to the Europa Conference League, with Nottingham Forest taking their place in the Europa League. The French club were originally relegated due to unresolved financial difficulties, with the hearing for their appeal said to be taking place on Friday, 4 July.
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
UEFA delays extend Crystal Palace's summer of uncertainty into pre-season
Crystal Palace's players will this week report back for pre-season training still unclear on which European competition they will be competing in next season. UEFA's decision to postpone a ruling on whether or not to admit Palace into the Europa League until Lyon's appeal against their relegation to Ligue 2 has been heard will be a source of frustration at Palace and has the potential to cause problems planning for next season. The date for that appeal to be heard is still to be determined. There is something of a stasis at Palace right now as a result of this uncertainty. It is not a crisis and there is no sense of panic, but there is an absence of certainty surrounding the new campaign. A replacement for sporting director Dougie Freedman, who left in March, has yet to be appointed, although the team with whom he worked remains largely in place and much of the work to prepare for this summer will have been done in advance. Advertisement Freedman's assistant, Ben Stevens, is leading the work alongside Iain Moody, who has worked as a consultant at the club for several years and worked closely alongside Freedman, albeit more in the negotiation process for new and existing players rather than identifying new talent. Manager Oliver Glasner has repeatedly stated how the club's late transfer business and disrupted pre-season in respect of players returning from international tournaments are problematic for his preparation. It was, he believed, a significant part of Palace's slow start to last season, where they failed to win for eight Premier League games. Chairman Steve Parish told reporters after the FA Cup semi-final win over Aston Villa that the club was looking to avoid a repeat of that disruption last summer and said after the cup final win over Manchester City that they must match Glasner's ambition. 'We're trying to do what we can this season to have a better pre-season and not make some of the mistakes we made again (where four players arrived on transfer deadline day),' he said. Palace's best-laid plans may now be frustrated by the continued wait for a decision on whether they will compete in the Europa League or drop down into the Conference League due to the possible conflict of the multi-club project Eagle Football, via its principal owner John Textor, owning significant stakes in both Palace and Lyon. Financially, there will be a difference between the two competitions, which may come into play, too. The profile of players Palace are targeting has not changed drastically from what it always has been: younger talent with something to prove and significant potential who can contribute now but then be sold on for a profit. Those players are more likely to be attracted to playing in the Premier League than in which European competition Palace are competing. Advertisement They have already signed the goalkeeper Walter Benitez to provide cover for Dean Henderson and compete for the No 1 spot. That deal is one Palace had earmarked for some time, though, with the Argentinian out of contract at PSV this summer. So it is more likely to impact potential departures than incoming transfers. Marc Guehi's situation is most unclear, with the club captain out of contract next summer and so far having expressed no inclination to renew. There is interest in him and offers are expected to arrive this summer. Should Palace play in the Europa League — the more prestigious competition — then they may hope to persuade him to sign a new deal with the club and enjoy a season showcasing his ability on the highest stage yet and then leave with their blessing next summer. That would be a similar situation to the one which played out with Michael Olise, who signed a new deal with a release clause and left a year later for Bayern Munich in a deal which earned Palace £50million ($68.6m). Likewise, Jean-Philippe Mateta harbours hope of playing for France; it's something he believes is far more likely by playing in a European competition. Following a superb 18 months in which he has scored 27 league goals since Glasner's arrival last February, he too may have offers this summer from teams playing in the Europa League. Perhaps less affected by where Palace will play next season is Eberechi Eze, who still has two years left on his contract. He is also expected to attract offers this summer, but his future is not linked as much to playing in the Europa League compared to the Conference League. Clearly, though, none of this is helpful for Palace, and it may have a knock-on impact on the immediate future of some of their younger players on the fringes of the first team. Advertisement The players will remain focused on returning to the fitness levels required for the intensity Glasner demands as they begin their preparation for the new campaign, but any distractions, however minor, are unwelcome. For the fans, the euphoria of their FA Cup victory remains but it risks being slightly overshadowed by a lack of clarity and the agonising wait. This summer should have been one for them to bask in the glory of their most successful Premier League season and winning their first major trophy. Palace may not be completely hamstrung as the wait goes on, but it is an unwelcome side note in a summer that should have been one of excitement about their European adventure. That much is unfortunate at least.
The Sun
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Crystal Palace line up £27million double raid on Middlesbrough including move for England U21 hero
CRYSTAL PALACE are eyeing Middlesbrough's £15million-rated star Hayden Hackney. And Palace could be eyeing a £27m double swoop on the Riverside. 2 2 That is after also running the rule over his Dutch team-mate Rav van den Berg at the Under-21 European Championship. Midfielder Hackney, 23, was part of England 's triumphant Under-21 squad. Premier League clubs, including Tottenham, have been watching his displays for his hometown team for over a year. Stuttgart are keen and Porto had a £9m bid rejected for him on January's deadline day. Hackney, who came through Middlesbrough 's academy, has already proved he can cut the mustard against the big boys in his standout displays against both Chelsea and Aston Villa in the cups last season. New Boro boss Rob Edwards would love to keep their prized asset. But Edwards knows any cash generated from a big sale would help him fund his own transfer splurge. He first caught the eye of Palace's former sporting director Dougie Freedman. And SunSport has learned that he has remained on the Eagles' radar despite the Scot no longer being at Selhurst Park. The South London club's scouts have been spotted at several matches throughout the Under-21 Euros, where Hackney featured four times for England in the run-up to the final. Meanwhile, we revealed this week that Palace's talent spotters had also been monitoring £12m-rated Van den Berg out in Slovakia.
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Crystal Palace Transfer DealSheet: Summer window latest, key targets and likely exits
Crystal Palace will enter the summer looking to prepare and build a squad for the Europa League next season and seeking to atone for errors made this year. Manager Oliver Glasner repeatedly referenced the late arrival of players, both returning from international competitions but also transfers, as a factor behind the club's worst start to a Premier League season, before it was turned round into an FA Cup-winning campaign in which they achieved their highest Premier League points total. Advertisement He will look to have additions earlier than last year and Palace will have to improve their strength in depth to account for the extra fixtures. They have several key players who will likely be in demand and decisions will have to made on whether to sell and how much they can realistically expect to command for those talents. Those decisions will heavily influence what happens this summer. This is up in the air after the departure of former sporting director Dougie Freedman in March, with Palace having considered replacements and a possible restructuring of their recruitment department. Chairman Steve Parish will be at the head of decisions, setting the budget and having the final call on the strategy. Freedman's assistant, Ben Stevens, who has been with the club since 2015 — originally as head of performance analysis before stepping up alongside Freedman last July — has stepped in to partly fill the void. Iain Moody, who has worked as a consultant at the club for several years and who worked closely alongside Freedman, albeit more in the negotiation process for new and existing players rather than identifying new talent, will also provide some sense of consistency. Freedman built a team working behind him that remains in place and will continue. Freedman will inevitably be consulted to some extent as well, despite his new role in Saudi Arabia. This depends on outgoings. The initial plan is to sign a goalkeeper as back-up to Dean Henderson. There has been a desperate need to sign another left wing-back to provide cover and competition for Tyrick Mitchell. There is no obvious cover for the 25-year-old. Should Marc Guehi, who has only a year left on his contract, leave this summer, Palace will look to sign two centre-backs. Chadi Riad, originally seen as a possible successor, should return in the early part of the season from rupturing his ACL. Advertisement Regardless of whether Eberechi Eze is sold, they will look to bring in another No 10, with Matheus Franca having struggled to make an impact and Romain Esse inexperienced. They could add a second No 10 if a club meets Eze's release clause, but they will also target a centre-midfielder. Cheick Doucoure is expected to be available for pre-season after his meniscus injury, and adding another midfielder would provide Palace with cover and depth. There is hope Jean-Philippe Mateta will stay, given he has two years remaining on his contract, but if he does depart another striker would be a necessity, with only Eddie Nketiah available. Glasner's preference is for players who can come in and make an impact quickly, or adapt with relative ease over a short period of time. He pushed last summer for the signings of Maxence Lacroix and Daichi Kamada, both of whom he had worked with at Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, respectively. Glasner wants a squad that is quick to acclimatise to each other and to the hefty physical demands of his system. That does not automatically discount young players, and he is not against promoting youth — Justin Devenny's progress this season is testament to that, even if he was a player bought from Scottish side Airdrieonians — but his priority is for more experienced players. Palace are primarily looking for younger players who have the potential to improve but already have some experience. Southampton midfielder Mateus Fernandes would fit that profile, having been linked with Palace. The Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos has also been mentioned and, at 21 with almost 100 professional appearances, would suit Palace. But that would be a difficult deal to do with Chelsea keen to keep him having impressed on loan with Strasbourg. They are targeting centre-backs in Italy and Spain, while they have built excellent contacts in France. Odsonne Edouard has failed to make any impact on loan with Leicester City and is not seen as a player who can make a significant contribution. He will move on if they can find a suitor who is prepared to meet the striker's wage demands. He has only a year remaining so would not command a high fee. The 23-year-old midfielder Naouirou Ahamada is not in the club's long-term plans. A rare tick in the miss column for Freedman, Ahamada was loaned to Ligue 1 side Rennes and played only six times. Advertisement Forward Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, 22, scored seven times across 37 appearances on loan with Sheffield United this season, but is not viewed by Glasner as a player who could be a core part of his squad. They originally sought a fee around the £20million that Ipswich Town paid Chelsea for Omari Hutchinson, but that seems a stretch. They could sell Guehi if he continues to show no inclination to sign a new deal. Given the rigours of seven extra games next season, it seems unlikely anyone will be loaned out. Devenny might have been a possibility, but he has done well enough to be kept as part of the first-team squad. Palace might have looked to loan out Franca to ensure sufficient minutes, but he too may now be required in the first team given their extended campaign. Some of the Under-21 side will be loaned out. Hindolo Mustapha has interest, as does Asher Agbinone, who spent time with Gillingham this season. There have been conversations with clubs and the background work has been ongoing for months, but nothing is imminent. It is likely the bulk of their transfer activity will come in the middle to end part of the main transfer window. Parish, however, told reporters after the FA Cup semi-final win over Aston Villa that they would try to 'have a better pre-season (and) not make some of the mistakes we made again'. While he did not explicitly reference the four deadline day arrivals as a mistake, it is a reasonable deduction to make given how much it affected their preparations. Palace have no concerns over their PSR position and their budget will be sufficient to strengthen. If they can offload fringe players, it will be boosted further, while if any of their key players leave it will be for a hefty fee, allowing them to reinvest that money. (Top photos: Getty Images)
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
🎥 OTD 2012: Zaha and Phillips star to send Palace to the Premier League
Crystal Palace have been a staple of the Premier League for the past 12 seasons, producing incredible consistency to finish between 15th and 10th in each campaign. Before that, the Eagles endured an eight-year hiatus from the English top-flight and even fended off administration and a near miss with relegation to League One in 2009/10. However, the South London club enjoyed an incredible run in the 2011/12 campaign, started by former player turned manager Dougie Freedman and finished off by Ian Holloway, who led Palace to the play-offs. After a memorable 2-0 win over rivals Brighton in the semi-final, Palace edged Watford in the final and a young Wilfried Zaha and a veteran journeyman in Kevin Phillips contributed with the decisive moments. Talking of Wembley this day in 2013, we returned to the @premierleague ❤️💙#CPFC — Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 27, 2025 Palace have returned to Wembley five times since that play-off final win and produced one of the club's most famous victories in history this season, defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final. 📸 IAN KINGTON - 2013 AFP
