- Crystal Palace compete in Como Cup
- Pierre Sage will face Lens
- Group A fixtures announced
Pierre Sage’s first game in charge of Crystal Palace will come up against former employers Lens. The French coach left the Ligue 1 club last week to take the reins at Selhurst Park.
Palace will be participating in the Como Cup as part of their pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. They learned the Premier League fixture list today (June 19th).
The fixtures for the Como Cup have also been confirmed and Sage will meet his old side at Lake Como in Italy. It’s the toughest test for the Eagles in the competition’s group stages.
Palace face Lens in Como Cup
Palace will start the Como Cup in Group A against Lens. The encounter with Sage’s former club takes place on July 28th and there’s a twist.
The games are 45 minutes long rather than 90 and draws go straight to penalty kicks. The clash with Lens is at 18:00 BST, before the second game of Group A.
Palace will encounter Portuguese outfit FC Famalicao at 19:30 BST. The final stage of the tournament includes closing matches and pits sides finishing first, second and third in a play-off against one another to determine the final standings.
Group B consists of the Italian side and hosts Como, who qualified for the Champions League under Cesc Fabregas last season. Yeremy Pino’s former club, Villarreal of Spain, and Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ula FC are also in the group.
Sage’s farewell message to Lens
After Sage was finally confirmed as Palace boss, he took to social media to express his gratitude towards Lens. He spent a season at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, guiding them to a second-placed finish in Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France trophy.
Sage wrote on his X account:
“Blood and Gold People I have 3 things to tell you: First, BRAVO for this historic year that we experienced together. Next, THANK YOU for all those moments when we united our courage and strength to proudly carry the colors of this magnificent club, RC Lens. And finally, FAREWELL, you will remain forever in my mind and in my heart. May the story continue…”
Sage has already excited Palace fans with his comments in his first interview with the club’s media. It will be interesting to see how Lens supporters respond when the two sides meet in July.
