Pierre Sage watched France v Spain with OL fans in London pub | OneFootball

Pierre Sage, Crystal Palace’s new head coach and former Lyon coach, watched France’s 0-2 World Cup semi-final loss to Spain in a west London pub alongside Olympique Lyonnais supporters.

He chose the Three Lanterns in the west of the city, joining the Lyondoners, a Lyon fans’ collective founded in 2014 with around 50 active members. According to L'Équipe, he has only recently settled in England after taking the Palace role a few weeks ago.

He set the tone by asking fans to address him informally, arriving on time, smiling and down to earth. He kept a low profile, shaking hands and signing a few autographs. He also bought a round of beers for about a dozen Lyon fans.

Questions flowed from the OL contingent, at times pulling his gaze from the screen, yet his reading of the game never dipped. One supporter noted he rode the match like a fan but seemed a step ahead, often predicting what would follow. Jonathan-Pierre Lion said he called each change before it happened.

Apart from William Saliba’s forced substitution, he anticipated all of Didier Deschamps’ moves. He had forecast Adrien Rabiot making way for Manu Koné due to a yellow card, plus the introductions of Rayan Cherki and Theo Hernandez.

After the defeat, he stayed for roughly 15 minutes, picking up tips on areas to live as he searches for a London home. With Argentina playing the next day, he said his support would be for England.

Source: L'Équipe