Pierre Sage leaves Lens for Crystal Palace as Premier League dream accelerates rise | OneFootball

Pierre Sage will leave Lens for Crystal Palace after an agreement was reached on Tuesday, sealing the 47-year-old’s jump to the Premier League and extending his rapid rise.

L'Équipe reports that a full deal between the clubs followed days of talks, after Sage had already agreed a contract with the Eagles through 2029. He is set to replace Oliver Glasner, in line to take over at AC Milan, at the recent Europa Conference League winners.

Lens, firm with two years still on Sage’s deal, are set to receive about €5 million. His Palace salary will be roughly four times his Lens pay.

Named Ligue 1 coach of the year at the UNFP awards on 11 May after finishing runners-up, he then won the Coupe de France on 22 May, 3-1 against Nice. He passed up the Champions League to chase a long-held English ambition, judging the chance might not come again.

Propelled to Lyon’s bench by John Textor in late November 2023 as an interim, he left after 56 games with a 59% win rate, third-best for the club this century. He lifted them from the foot of Ligue 1 to Europe and a Coupe de France final, lost 1-2 to PSG on 25 May.

Jamal Alioui will continue alongside him at Palace. At Lens his record read 28 wins, four draws and eight defeats.

Next season he will be Palace’s second French coach after Patrick Vieira, and the 13th French manager in Premier League history, alongside Régis Le Bris at Sunderland. He will have significant means to strengthen a squad that has won three trophies in the past year, the Cup, Community Shield and Europa Conference League.

Source: L'Équipe