Crystal Palace name Pierre Sage as head coach after his Coupe de France win with Lens
Crystal Palace have appointed Frenchman Pierre Sage as their new head coach on a three-year contract. Sage arrives after guiding Lens to second in Ligue 1 and the club's first Coupe de France title.
The appointment
Pierre Sage, 47, has agreed a three-year deal to become Crystal Palace's head coach. He replaces Oliver Glasner, who left after two and a half years, during which he delivered the FA Cup in 2025 and the Europa Conference League title last month — the only major honours in the club's 120-year history.
Sage will start work on 6 July, ahead of the bulk of the first-team squad's return for pre-season on 10 July. His Lens assistant Jamal Alioui is joining him, with existing Palace coaches Paddy McCarthy and Andy Quy staying on.
It's amazing to be here at Crystal Palace. I am excited by the history of the club and by recent seasons. Oliver Glasner achieved some amazing things and now I have to do the same. That's why we come here with a lot of ambition.
Immediate success at Lens
Sage spent only one season at Lens but made it count. The northern French club finished second in Ligue 1, six points behind Paris Saint-Germain, and beat Nice in the final to lift the Coupe de France for the first time in their 120-year history.
I am tremendously excited to welcome Pierre, who joins us off the back of a trophy-winning season at Lens as well as a fabulous second-place finish in Ligue 1. As we move into another European campaign off the back of our success in Leipzig, I know he will give everything to target more success for our fantastic football club.
Palace chairman Steve Parish said the decision was also influenced by Sage's tactical setup — a three-at-the-back system similar to the one Glasner deployed. The Eagles will play in the Europa League next season, and Sage's experience in European competition with Lyon and Lens was attractive.
A journey from the shadows
A former amateur player with CS Belley, Sage spent years in backroom and academy roles before his first senior head-coach job. In November 2023 he was thrust into the Lyon job, initially on an interim basis, with the club bottom of Ligue 1 after one win from 12 matches. He guided them to sixth place and a French Cup final appearance that season, then was sacked in January 2025 despite sitting sixth again.
It was one of the dumbest decisions of my life.
Former Lyon owner John Textor, who fired Sage, later called him "an absolute savant" and compared his intelligence to a college professor. Sage himself rejected any mystical label, pointing instead to hard work. He told The Athletic last year that working in England was his "dream" because "it's the best country and the best league".
- Takes interim charge at Lyon after Fabio Grosso sacked, club bottom with 7 points from 12 matches
- Appointed permanent Lyon head coach, guides team to 6th and French Cup final
- Sacked by Lyon while sitting 6th in Ligue 1
- Joins Lens as head coach
- Lens finishes 2nd in Ligue 1 (6 points behind PSG) and wins Coupe de France
- Agrees three-year deal to become Crystal Palace head coach
- Starts work at Palace, ahead of July 10 pre-season start
A new chapter at Selhurst Park
The appointment ends a short search that saw Andoni Iraola opt for Liverpool. Palace will now look to build on Glasner's tenure. Sage's adaptable coaching style, which previously revived a broken Lyon dressing room, is expected to suit a squad that has lost its most successful manager but retains a core that won two trophies.
His challenge will be to sustain the upward trajectory of a club entering European competition while coping with the inevitable demands of the Premier League. That he has already turned a crisis club into a cup winner and title challenger abroad gives Palace hope that their own trophy cabinet may not stay closed for long.
