- Crystal Palace to hold talks with Pierre Sage
- Lens boss is on Eagles’ managerial wishlist
- Frenchman is an ideal Oliver Glasner successor
Crystal Palace are reportedly set to hold talks with Pierre Sage over replacing Oliver Glasner as manager. The French coach now appears to be the frontrunner to succeed Glasner.
While the club’s initial pursuit of Andoni Iraola took an unexpected turn following Liverpool’s sudden swoop for the Spaniard, Palace have pivoted swiftly. Sage has emerged as their new favourite and he’s an exciting option.
According to Sami Mokbel of BBC Sport, the Eagles are exploring a move for Lens’ Sage. He is a tactician heavily admired across Europe and a name that perfectly aligns with the club’s growing stature.
Going for Sage
The board has made it incredibly clear that they intend to back the momentum of our European silverware with a high-calibre appointment. The rumour mill has thrown up several high-profile names over the last few days, including former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmöller and Coventry’s Frank Lampard but the latest development points heavily toward France.
The track record Sage has put together in Ligue 1 makes it completely clear why Parish and the recruitment team view him as the ideal profile to take over the Selhurst Park dugout. This season, he has guided Lens to a second-placed finish in Ligue 1 and won the Coupe de France.
Mokbel insists there has been no decision over a number one target but Sage is clearly one of the preferred candidates. He is the first to hold talks over succeeding Glasner and potentially taking charge of Palace’s deserved Europa League campaign.
The best choice
Sage’s rise through French football has been nothing short of meteoric. After famously pulling Lyon away from a bitter relegation scrap and guiding them to an improbable European spot in 2024, his move to Lens in 2025 only solidified his reputation as an elite tactical mind.
This past season, he orchestrated a magnificent campaign with Lens, pushing Paris Saint-Germain all the way to a second-place finish in Ligue 1. He has exceeded expectations thus far in his managerial career.
Sage is exactly the type of manager who matches the ambition of our current squad. He plays an exciting, vertical brand of football that would perfectly maximise the talents of players like Adam Wharton and Yeremy Pino.
Furthermore, his ability to cultivate a fierce cup-winning mentality fits like a glove for a Palace squad that has finally tasted what it means to lift a trophy on the continental stage.
