‘As a true competitor, he wanted to move on’ – Lens owner Joseph Oughourlian opens up on Pierre Sage’s move to Crystal Palace | OneFootball

Lens president and owner Joseph Oughourlian has given a wide-ranging interview to L’Equipe on the back of Les Sang et Or’s remarkable Ligue 1 campaign. The 54-year-old businessman notably hinted that a major Premier League side approached the Artois side over a club takeover, like BlueCo’s Chelsea did with Strasbourg three years ago.

In some ways, the allure of the Premier League has somewhat disrupted Lens, given that Crystal Palace identified Pierre Sage as the ideal candidate to replace their departing head coach Oliver Glasner. The Eagles eventually got their man, and Lens signed Dino Toppmöller. Regarding Sage’s early exit, considering he only spent one campaign with Les Sang et Or, Oughourlian says he absolutely has no hard feelings.

“I imagine he was a bit like us, achieving his goals several years ahead of schedule, and as a true competitor, he wanted to move on”, the RC Lens owner and president said. Oughourlian says that, given the catastrophic situation of French football clubs, bar PSG, he accepts that Lens might be a stepping stone for great coaches or great players. “We’re above any individual, so we’re not going to disappear, just as we didn’t disappear after Franck (club manager Franck Haise) left. I hope he has a great season in the Premier League.”

GFFN | Bastien Cheval