News Focus
- Crystal Palace have agreed terms to hire Pierre Sage from French club RC Lens
- The 57-year-old will sign a three-year contract with an option to extend until 2029
- Sage becomes the chosen candidate after Andoni Iraola accepted the Liverpool job
- He led Lens to their first-ever trophy by winning the Coupe de France this season
- The new boss favours a back-three system similar to outgoing manager Oliver Glasner
Crystal Palace have secured an agreement in principle to appoint Pierre Sage as their new head coach. The Premier League side are now finalising a compensation package with RC Lens to release the Frenchman from his current contract.
Sage is set to put pen to paper on a three-year deal at Selhurst Park. The contract includes an option for an extra year, which would keep him at the club until the summer of 2029.
The Eagles turned their attention to Sage after their primary target, Andoni Iraola, joined Liverpool instead. Palace urgently need a new manager because Oliver Glasner has decided not to renew his contract, which expires on 30 June.
Sage enjoyed an outstanding campaign at Lens. He guided the club to their maiden trophy by lifting the Coupe de France. He also mounted a serious challenge for the Ligue 1 title, leading the table ahead of Paris Saint-Germain at the end of February.
The French coach prefers to use a back-three formation. This tactical approach mirrors the system that Glasner used during Crystal Palace’s most successful period, which saw the club win the FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League.
Sage has never managed in English football before. However, Glasner also arrived at Palace without any Premier League experience and still led the team to multiple trophies.