Uche receives UECL medal, sends subtle Glasner dig

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Super Eagles midfielder, Christantus Uche, has taken to social media to showcase his UEFA Europa Conference League winner’s medal, earned during a difficult loan spell with Crystal Palace last season, with a caption widely viewed as a veiled dig at former manager, Oliver Glasner.

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Uche spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace from Getafe, having established himself as the Spanish club’s standout performer before being offloaded to raise funds. Much was expected of the Nigerian in England, but he struggled to make an impact, managing just 159 minutes in the Premier League, all of it from the bench, and was left out of Palace’s squad entirely for the knockout stages of the Conference League after featuring only in the first half of the campaign.

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Despite his limited involvement, Uche was still awarded a gold medal when Crystal Palace went on to lift the trophy, and he shared the achievement with his followers at the weekend.

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“A devilish person might try to bring you down with their wicked actions, but you are resilient and blessed, rising above their negativity. Thank you, UEFA,” Uche wrote, without naming anyone directly.

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The post follows a frustrating campaign under Glasner, who rarely gave the 23-year-old an opportunity to prove himself and consistently left him out of matchday squads.

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Uche had, towards the end of last season, openly expressed his belief that the Austrian tactician held a personal dislike for him, a claim that remains unsubstantiated but reflected his frustration at his lack of playing time.

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Uche’s obligation-to-buy clause at Palace, worth between €18m and €20m, required him to start at least ten Premier League matches, a target he never came close to reaching, having featured 14 times in the league, entirely as a substitute, without a goal or assist to his name.

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His best moments in England came in the Conference League, where he scored twice before his omission from the squad for the latter stages.

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With his loan now at an end and a permanent move rendered impossible after the buy-clause went unmet, Uche has returned to Getafe, where he is looking to put his difficult Premier League stint behind him and get his career back on track amid reported interest from Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, AC Milan, Wolves and Brentford.

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