- Crystal Palace news as Lens set to replace Pierre Sage
- French club turn to manager liked by the Eagles
- A managerial merry-go-round
Crystal Palace will soon confirm the appointment of Pierre Sage as Oliver Glasner’s successor. The French coach is leaving Lens who have turned to a familiar name as his replacement.
According to Sebastien Denis of Foot Mercato, Lens will replace Sage with Dino Toppmoller. The German had been on the Eagles’ managerial shortlist.
Toppmoller had attracted interest from Palace, AC Milan, and Saudi Arabia. He’s been out of a job since January after being sacked by German club Eintracht Frankfurt.
Lens want Toppmoller
Toppmoller had been in the race with Sage and others to succeed Glasner. He did just that at Frankfurt when he took the reins at Deutsche Bank Park in July 2023.
The former Bayern Munich assistant started his reign well and guided Frankfurt to a third-placed finish in the Bundesliga. He was dismissed earlier this year amid a poor run of results.
Palace considered him to replace Glasner but their top managerial target was Andoni Iraola. Once the Spaniard decided on replacing Arne Slot at Liverpool, the Eagles made Sage their priority.
Sage leaves Lens after one season in which he won Ligue 1’s Manager of the Year award. He led the French side to a second-placed finish in the league and the Coupe de France.
Confirmation coming
Toppmoller does have a solid resume and will likely do a good job at Lens. That said, Sage is undoubtedly the better tactician given his track record of success.
Sage took charge of a Lyon side sat bottom of Ligue 1 and led them to a sixth-placed finish. He has earned huge plaudits for his football philosophy with Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique calling him “incredible.”
Palace will soon announce Sage’s appointment and his first task will be overseeing pre-season along with recruitment during the transfer window. His side will be competing in the Como Cup which ironically includes Lens.
