Lens appoint Dino Toppmöller on two-year deal to replace Pierre Sage | OneFootball

The club said in a statement that Lens have appointed German coach Dino Toppmöller on a two-year contract, succeeding Pierre Sage, who has joined Crystal Palace.

Toppmöller, 45, is regarded as a francophile and previously worked as Julian Nagelsmann’s assistant at Leipzig from 2020 to 2021, then at Bayern Munich between July 2021 and March 2023. His sole top-flight head coach role to date came at Frankfurt from July 2023 to January 2026.

He takes over from Sage after a landmark campaign in which Lens lifted their first Coupe de France and finished second in Ligue 1. Toppmöller paid tribute to his predecessor, praising the collective work behind those achievements.

He highlighted his European know-how and noted the demands of midweek Champions League fixtures next season. Toppmöller said the club are very ambitious and he thinks they can achieve special things together, adding that he is confident Lens can keep building on recent progress.

Sporting director Jean-Louis Leca said Toppmöller matched the profile sought, citing 45 European games in the dugout, Champions League experience and fluency in several languages including French. He described a coach who improves young players, prefers a back three and favours front-foot football.

Lens also presented him as a tactically astute coach, an advocate of 3-4-3 with strong human qualities. He becomes the first German to take charge of the club.

Source: Le Progres