Pierre Sage speaks frankly about the title race with PSG

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·15 February 2026

Pierre Sage speaks frankly about the title race with PSG

Pierre Sage, the coach of RC Lens, spoke to the media following the 0-5 victory on Saturday night against Paris FC during the 22nd day of Ligue 1 2025-2026. Naturally, after securing 3 points that allow them to take the 1st place ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, who lost 3-1 to Rennes on Friday, he was questioned about a possible title race.

Sage: "Each victory will bring us closer to a more interesting competition."

"Does Lens think about the title? Not at all. Today, we are in a situation where we have a clear and stated ambition, but above all, one that is possible. The players are quite aware of the steps we need to take to achieve our goals. We will take things step by step. Our first milestone is reached, 52 points, with the idea now of being able to aim for the European Cup, starting with the Conference League. And each victory will bring us closer to a more interesting competition. Our objective is clear, but there are steps that are unavoidable. Today, we still need three more victories (to secure Europe) based on what the last two Ligue 1 standings have shown us. The championship is a bit tighter, so maybe a little more will be needed this year."

Sage: "It is important, I think, to think in terms of points and not in terms of position in the standings."

"Today, we are faced with very positive things, and we approach them with a lot of seriousness. It is this way of functioning that will allow us to maintain ambition and achieve other objectives, like the Coupe de France, for example. And we also know that there will be some less good days at some point. That's why it is important, I think, to think in terms of points and not in terms of position in the standings," remarks relayed by Le Figaro.

Sage does not change his discourse from one weekend to the next, whether Lens is first or second. The idea remains to distance the title race as much as possible in order to focus on European qualification. We understand, it is better to go step by step. It might be the best way to avoid a downfall. By only thinking about the first place, any slip-up can seem dramatic and bring a negative atmosphere that drags everything down.

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Here, Lens has an advantage for Europe, especially since Pierre Sage wants to go competition by competition and for the moment, think about a total of points to be roughly in the normal zone. With possible adjustments, since all seasons are different. The idea is therefore not to look too much at others, to focus on oneself.

This can work, and for the moment Lens is progressing particularly well, even if some successes have needed a bit of luck. That is part of a season. However, be careful when it will no longer be possible to hide the big stakes behind more vague ideas. The last days promise to be very concrete for Lens, with probable pressure, whether for the title or the Champions League. Notably with a Lens/PSG on April 12 (29th day). But there are still 12 matchdays, with 36 points at stake, the journey is still long.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.