Crystal Palace appoints Pierre Sage as head coach

Crystal Palace has appointed Pierre Sage as its new head coach, the club confirmed on Monday. The 47-year-old Frenchman, who led RC Lens to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 and a Coupe de France title last season, has signed a three-year contract with an option for a fourth. He will officially begin his tenure on July 6, ahead of the squad's preseason return.

Sage replaces Oliver Glasner, who departed after a historic period that saw Palace win its first major trophies: the FA Cup, Community Shield, and the UEFA Europa Conference League. The club paid a compensation fee of approximately £5 million to Lens to secure Sage's services, with the potential for additional performance-related add-ons.

The incoming manager is expected to be joined in south London by his Lens assistant, Jamal Alioui, while existing coaches Paddy McCarthy and Andy Quy are anticipated to remain part of the backroom staff. Sage's appointment follows an agreement in principle reached around June 9-10.

In a past interview, Sage described his coaching philosophy as one focused on optimizing resources and sharing a vision of play with his players. He expressed a preference for possession-based, controlling...