Pierre Sage climbed the ranks through youth coaching at Lyon and non-league obscurity before his meteoric rise, making his Premier League debut the pinnacle of a lifelong journey. Yet he remains painfully aware that the romantic story ends the second the referee blows the whistle on Merseyside on Saturday vs Everton.
Looking ahead to the opener
The French coach leads Crystal Palace into the 2026/27 Premier League season away to Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, stepping in following Oliver Glasner’s departure.
“We are really happy to begin this season because (while) it’s important to train, we like the game and we like to share that with our fans. That’s why the first game is always weighted, and the first game at home will be like this too, and for the moment we are in the last line (of preparation). We have to do it quickly and to be in our best version to compete against Everton.”
Fulfilling a dream on the big stage
The 47-year-old reflected on taking charge of the Eagles for his first league fixture, framing his appointment as both a personal milestone and a launching pad for future success.
“When I was a young coach in another club, it was a dream. Now I’m here and it’s not a dream, it’s a reality, but I think it’s only a step. I keep my ambition. I want to, to go forward with this team, with this club, as long as we can and I want to continue my improvement and the improvement of the club too and the players, like I said about Adam Wharton, for example, but emotionally it’s really a good moment.
“I’m really impatient to play this first game with this new jersey and this new club and with a lot of pressure because the club won three trophies in the last two years. That’s why now we have the habit to win, but we have to confirm that every day by working and by performing during the game.
“We cannot only be focused on the result. We have to be focused on the way to get results because like I told you, it’s not one game, two games, it’s about 60 games maybe and we have to prepare all this. It’s not only for the first game. That’s why the ideas, the principles are really important, and we work on it every day.
“For the moment we (have not got) all the players at the same level because some of them come late with the World Cup, but we will take time to explain them to leave that on the sessions too, and to be able to play as a team as we choose and know as we can, but as we choose.”
Demanding intent and high Performance
Palace retain key stars Jean-Philippe Mateta, Daichi Kamada, and Daniel Muñoz, while Everton feature new signings Hayden Hackney, Brennan Johnson, and Christian Norgaard. The Palace head coach expects a fierce contest against David Moyes’ side but demands maximum ambition from his team.
“(On Everton) It’s a good first game because last year the two teams were close in the table, but like you said, it’s another context and now we have to be the best version of us for the moment to compete and to fight at the highest as we can as we are able for the moment and we want to be ambitious for this game. We want to win. We go there to win. We don’t go there to close the play. We want to play. We want to show what we are able to do, and we want to to take confidence by doing things and be efficient in what we decide to do.”
Welcoming Dwight McNeil
The fixture marks an immediate return to Everton for Palace’s new No. 11, Dwight McNeil, following a swap deal involving Brennan Johnson. The French manager backed the winger to handle the occasion and make an instant impact for the Eagles.
“First of all, it’s really difficult to play the first game with your new team against your former team, but I did that as a coach last year and, once it’s happened, it’s done. That’s why, we make a lot of noise with that, but at the end it’s only a game. To speak about him, he’s really a good player. He’s able to be really efficient between the lines. He’s good to unbalance the opponent. He has a left foot of high level, and now we have to connect (him) with the others to play, for us and not only as a player alone.”
It is only August, but the tension already feels real. Premier League football has a funny way of making every romantic backstory collapse into ninety minutes of frantic pressing, tactical adjustments, and raw exertion. For all the build-up surrounding the new man in the dugout, the talking stops when the referee blows that first whistle at Everton.
What matters now is how this team translates those ideas from the training pitch into points on the board. The standard has been set high in South London over recent seasons, and maintaining that momentum won’t be easy. But as Palace step out on Merseyside, there is a genuine sense of purpose about what comes next. The journey starts here, and everyone connected with the club is ready to see where it leads.
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