Glentoran owner Ali Pour has opened up about a season of mixed emotions, admitting he felt "quite disappointed" that the Glens fell short of the Irish Premiership title—but "relieved" they secured a return to European competition.

The east Belfast side finished third in the standings, six points adrift of champions Larne. However, a stroke of fortune saw them qualify for the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round after league runners-up Coleraine won the Irish Cup. It marks Glentoran's first taste of European football since 2024, a welcome return for a club with continental ambitions.

Pour, who took the reins in 2019, was frank about the campaign's highs and lows. "We started really well, and a strong summer transfer window showed in our performances," he explained. "There was a slight dip toward the end of last year, but we followed it up with another excellent January window. We built the squad to win the Gibson Cup."

Despite the progress—the club's best league showing since 2009—Pour couldn't hide his frustration. "I was confident we were going to win it, so to finish six points off the top was disappointing. It shows progress, but it stings. I'm relieved we made Europe, but for a club of our size, that should be a given. We should be there every year. I wasn't really celebrating."

Since Pour's takeover, Glentoran have lifted the Irish Cup in 2020 and the County Antrim Shield in 2025. Yet the owner feels the trophy cabinet should be fuller. "It takes time to build, and COVID set us back, but I think we should have won more. Still, the margins were razor-thin this season. The club is in a really good place, and we're building toward that title."

For a club with Glentoran's pedigree, Europe is the baseline, not the ceiling. The message from the top is clear: the Gibson Cup remains the ultimate prize, and the hunger to end a 17-year league drought is only growing stronger.