Oliver Glasner has sensationally announced he will leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season on the same day as club captain Marc Guehi agreed to join Man City.
The Palace boss is out of contract in the summer and has turned down the offer of a new contract to remain at Selhurst Park.
Glasner led the Eagles to their first major trophy when the Seagulls lifted the FA Cup last season but saw his side crash out to minnows Macclesfield in the third round last weekend.
Speculation has been growing over the Austrian’s future at the club with the 51-year-old refusing to commit pen to paper but Glasner has revealed his mind has been made up for a while.
‘I informed the club months ago that I was ready for a new challenge,’ said Glasner in a bombshell press conference ahead of Palace’s clash at Sunderland tomorrow.
The FA-Cup winning boss said: 'I had a meeting in October with Steve Parish. We had dinner and a long talk. I told him I will not sign a new contract for Crystal Palace.
'We agreed it was best to keep it between us, confidentially, and we did for three months. I told the team today. It’s now important to have clarity.
'I don’t want to have this question. We had a very busy schedule. We want the same, me and Steve.
'Steve has no ego. Oliver Glasner has no ego, we want is best for Palace.
'It’s important to have clarity, this is what the players deserve, this is what fans deserve, that’s why I tell it today.'
The bombshell comes on the same day as Palace captain Marc Guehi agreed a deal to join Manchester City for a fee expected to be around £20m.
City’s ability to convince Guehi of making the move in this window, as opposed to the summer, has been key in the negotiations and the player is believed to have been convinced that a switch to the Etihad Stadium is the right decision.
Guehi was in line to potentially make greater financial gain in the summer as a free agent when the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Arsenal were ready to make substantial offers.
But he is now closing in on a switch to Pep Guardiola's since on day of double disappointment for the Eagles.