‘Aim of winning a big title’ – Daichi Kamada wants to replicate Oliver Glasner Frankfurt success with Crystal Palace
New Crystal Palace signing Daichi Kamada wants to replicate his Eintracht Frankfurt success with boss Oliver Glasner, writes Edmund Brack
The 27-year-old penned a two-year deal with the Eagles after joining as a free agent from Serie A side Lazio.
Attacking midfielder Kamada won the Europa League alongside Glasner with the Bundesliga side in 2022, beating Rangers in the final.
They have now been reunited at Selhurst Park, with Kamada hoping the duo can take their European triumph from Germany to South London.
“In the Premier League, one of the team’s main objectives is to qualify for next season’s European competition,” said Kamada.
“I hope I can contribute to that.
“When I was in Germany, my Frankfurt team tended to make great progress in the cup competitions. So in that sense, the cup competitions will be a good chance to win a trophy with Crystal Palace too, and I would like to play in this team with the aim of winning a big title like that.
“One of the biggest reasons is the manager Oliver Glasner, that’s for sure.
“Even when I was not having enough game time [in Italy], he always got in touch with me and sent me messages. I could sense his trust in me through those various exchanges.
“Since we were together in Frankfurt I have been able to demonstrate what he wants me to do on the pitch, and I feel that he trusts me a lot because of this aspect.”
Kamada played 93 times under Glasner at The Waldstadion, scoring 25 times and picking up 12 assists.
He added: “I worked with him for only two years which I think are relatively short, and our relationship has had both ups and downs over the years, but I think he is a great figure as a manager, and I also respect him as a person.
“It is always difficult for me to explain what my strengths are, but I think that one of my strengths is that I can show what the manager wants me to do on the pitch and that I can be a team player too, which is typical of the Japanese players, not just me.”
PICTURE: CPFC