Crystal Palace have been unable to change Oliver Glasner's mind. The Austrian coach will clear his desk at Selhurst Park at the end of the season, but he may yet rest another title in his cabinet.

Shakhtar Donetsk were dispatched over two legs to see the Eagles fly into the Conference League final, where Rayo Vallecano now wait in Leipzig.

It will be Glasner's last hurrah, the 51-year-old having announced back in January, unilaterally, that he would leave at the end of his contract.

There is, at least, clarity over Glasner's future, and the fact that he needs replacing with a top-class manager.

Outgoing Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is the clear frontrunner, but he's not the only person on chairman Steve Parish's radar.

The latest on Iraola to Crystal Palace

TEAMtalk have revealed that Crystal Palace still have the advantage over Chelsea in the race for Iraola's signature. The Blues are leaning toward Xabi Alonso, but the Spanish coach's confidence in Selhurst Park's potential to build a long-term project is also holding sway.

However, Alonso may well be attracted by the size and scale of Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and if that does happen, the south Londoners need to ensure they have the perfect fallback.

Last week, BBC Sport revealed that while Iraola is indeed in the lead, Fulham boss Marco Silva is also under consideration. The experienced Portuguese manager, like his Iberian rival, is out of contract this summer.

Fulham are actively trying to extend Silva's stay at Craven Cottage, and with that in mind, Parish and co will need to figure out which way to go quickly, lest they miss out on a number of their top targets.

Why Silva could be Palace's dream Iraola alternative

Silva might not feel like as attractive a name as Iraola, but he has a wealth of experience in the Premier League and has fashioned Fulham, who yo-yoed for years beforehand, into a stable and progressive outfit.

Though Iraola has a more impressive Premier League record than his Portuguese counterpart - on paper - it's important to remember that Silva led Fulham back into the top flight, winning the Championship in 2021/22.

Stability. That is the most impressive thing about Silva's reign, and with greater resources at Selhurst Park, he could finally find himself within the right environment to truly prove to the wider footballing world that, in the words of Calvin Bassey, he is "one of the best managers in the Premier League".

Fielding 4-2-3-1 formation, a casual observer would be forgiven for thinking that Silva is a pragmatic coach, but that isn't the case. Sure, he prioritises balance and security, but he wants his team to be proactive, and this is evidenced by Fulham's 320 created chances in the Premier League this year. Palace, conversely, have only created 276.

Iraola might be the talk of the town, but Silva has a wealth of experience and a hunger to break out from his mid-table shackles and have a shot at a club punching out in Europe.

At the end of the day, Glasner has done great work in south London, and an experienced manager who knows and understands the English system could help maintain this exciting new ground that the Eagles walk on.

Palace need clarity on their managerial situation - and quickly. After all, the uncertainty could see rivals take advantage and swipe Parish's top targets ahead of the summer window...