Crystal Palace Appoints Pierre Sage as Head Coach After Sacking Oliver Glasner

Pierre Sage left his position as Lens coach on Monday to take over as head coach at English Premier League club Crystal Palace on a three-year contract. The 47-year-old succeeds Oliver Glasner, who departed after nearly two-and-a-half years at the club. Sage led Lens to its first Coupe de France title last season and a second-place finish behind Paris Saint-Germain in the French league.

“It’s amazing to be here at Crystal Palace,” Sage said after agreeing the contract. “I am excited by the history of the club and by recent seasons. Oliver Glasner achieved some amazing things and now I have to do the same.

Sage added that the positive dynamic at the club aligned with his own approach. “The dynamic here is really positive and we are in this mindset too. We won last year – and we want to continue in this way, in a new club, a new project, but with a lot of winning habits,” he said.

Crystal Palace won the FA Cup in 2025 and the Europa Conference League title in May 2026. Those remain the only major trophies in the club’s 120-year history. Palace chairman Steve Parish welcomed the appointment.

“I am tremendously excited to welcome Pierre, who joins us off the back of a trophy-winning season at Lens as well as a fabulous second-place finish in Ligue 1,” Parish said. ” Sage favors a three-at-the-back formation with wing backs and a sole striker, similar to the system Glasner used. Crystal Palace will compete in the Europa League next season.

Sage returned to Lyon in summer 2023 as director of the club’s academy after a stint as an assistant at second-division Red Star. He took charge at Lyon at the end of November 2023 when the team sat bottom of the league with one win from 12 matches. Lyon finished the 2023-24 season in sixth place and reached the French Cup final, losing 2-1 to PSG.