Coach Doesn’t Like Me” – Glasner Reacts To Christantus Uche’s Frustration At Crystal Palace

According to Ireporter Online, Nigerian midfielder Christantus Uche has expressed disappointment over his reduced involvement at Crystal Palace, claiming he believes manager Oliver Glasner no longer has confidence in him following his exclusion from the club’s UEFA Europa Conference League squad.

Uche, who joined Palace on loan from Getafe last summer, initially enjoyed a bright start to his European campaign, scoring twice in four Conference League appearances. However, his playing time has significantly reduced in recent months, with the 22-year-old eventually left out of the squad for the knockout stages.

Speaking openly about his situation, Uche expressed gratitude to supporters but admitted his frustration over his current status at the club.

“I may not have much playing time, but I am grateful for the fans who continue to support me and the team. Your dedication and enthusiasm mean a lot and I hope to make you proud whenever I do get the chance to play but I know maybe it won’t happen again because the coach doesn’t like me,” he said.

In response, Oliver Glasner dismissed any suggestion of personal conflict, insisting that his decision was strictly based on squad management and competition rules. Speaking ahead of Palace’s Conference League semi-final second leg against Shakhtar Donetsk, the Austrian coach clarified that Uche’s omission was not performance-related.

“For me, I never blame the player for somethings. This stays internal. Uche wasn’t registered for the second part of the Conference League. I had a conversation with him, he wasn’t pleased with it. I had to take a decision due to the rules. We had new signings coming in. Honestly, if I had known that Eddie Nketiah wouldn’t get fit, Uche would have been registered,” Glasner explained.

He further added that the decision was influenced by squad depth at the time, stressing that there was no personal issue involved.

“But at that moment, we thought Eddie was close to returning. We had Strand Larsen, Brennan Johnson, Mateta, and Eddie Nketiah. This was the reason, and from that day he felt that I don’t like him. There was nothing personal. I like him as a person, but again I had to take a decision,” he added.

Uche’s most recent appearance for Crystal Palace came in their 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on March 6. So far this season, he has made 22 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and registering one assist.