Crystal Palace manager search: Why Pierre Sage could be perfect fit to replace Oliver Glasner after ‘miracle’ in France - ‘Inspired by Guardiola’
Published 04/06/2026 at 14:47 GMT+1
React to this story
Crystal Palace are on the hunt for a new head coach following the departure of the hugely successful Oliver Glasner at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Highlights: Palace clinch European glory in perfect farewell for Glasner
Video credit: TNT Sports
The Austrian guided The Eagles to three trophies in the space of 18 months, an unprecedented period of success for a club that had never won a major prize prior to his arrival.
However, the South London side do not have time to mourn his exit.
The Eagles played an exhausting 60 matches during the 2025/26 campaign which ended in UEFA Conference League glory following a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano in the final.
The club look set to have another marathon season next term, when they will be competing in the UEFA Europa League for the first time.
Fortunately for Palace fans, Steve Parish and the rest of the board appear to have acted quickly to find Glasner's replacement.
Recent reports suggest that Lens manager Pierre Sage is on the verge of being named as the club's new head coach, having guided his current side, RC Lens, to second place in Ligue 1 last term, just six points behind UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/05/27/image-eba87c90-a5af-4803-b39d-a21dcafaae01-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Glasner pulls out trademark belly slide in wild Conference League celebrations
Video credit: TNT Sports
Sage may be highly rated across the channel but he is still an unknown element in England.
So, we felt the time was right to speak to TNT Sports French football expert Aurelien Gourdon in the hope of finding out more about Sage, his tactics and what his arrival at Palace means for French football.
Tactical fluidity
Glasner was lauded for his implementation of a 3-4-2-1 formation at Crystal Palace.
The system got the best out of the likes of Daniel Munoz, Ismaila Sarr and Daichi Kamada, all of whom benefited from its defensive solidity and attacking fluidity.
Replacing the formation now could require a significant change in personnel, swapping their goal-scoring No. 10S and attacking wing-backs for traditional wingers and more defensive full-backs.
However, Gourdon says that Sage would be more than happy to implement his own interpretation of the 3-4-2-1.
- The key dates for the 2026/27 UEFA competitions
- 'He's getting a statue!' - Glasner lauded as ‘one of the best’ in Palace history
- 'Sometimes the good guys win' - Palace enjoy 'justice' after European triumph
"Sage will never be dogmatic regarding his formation or system," he explained. "In Lyon he mostly used 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 because his team was built for such systems, with players such as [Rayan] Cherki, [Alexandre] Lacazette for instance.
"Then he went to Lens, where both former coaches [Franck Haise and Will Still] had been playing with that 3-4-2-1 system which worked perfectly for him, as you have seen in his results there.
"I must say he has one of, if not the best, knowledge in terms of pure coaching in France due to his studies on the matter - he had been teaching coaches for years before finding some work on a bench.
"Therefore, his mantra is the positioning game inspired by Guardiola, which focuses on the player's role in every zone of the pitch rather than an actual rigid system.
"He completely transformed Lens, which was a very defensive team under Will Still, into a high-pressure machine, despite keeping that defensive system.
"Which made them offensively incredible, but most of all they were conceding very few opportunities.
"I would say he will probably adapt to Palace's system rather than implementing a new formation as he did in Lens. But the philosophy can change."
A hint of controversy
Crystal Palace may have added to their trophy cabinet under Glasner, but his tenure was not all smooth sailing.
The 51-year-old’s press conference outbursts almost derailed Palace’s march to European glory, stating his side were ”being abandoned” back in January when captain Marc Guehi was sold to Manchester City.
Sage’s appointment may be celebrated in South London, but it has left some fans scratching their heads in the north of France.
Gourdon explained that the Lens manager’s departure could, like Glasner’s, be seen as controversial after he insisted he would stay just a few weeks ago.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/05/27/image-0c573467-2447-4989-b583-9fa2724b9637-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Crystal Palace lift Conference League trophy in historic moment for Eagles
Video credit: TNT Sports
”It is well-known in France that our football's financial situation is quite poor and clubs are losing money,” he said.
”Sage's way to professional football is a miracle and Lens is a very mid-table budget in Ligue 1.
”His dream has always been the Premier League and the amounts of money it provides make his decision pretty logical for many people.
”However, the fact that he guaranteed a few weeks ago that he would stay at Lens has not been great for Lens' fans. But many are still quite grateful for his amazing year there.”
A busy summer
The Eagles have become known for their willingness to sell their biggest names in recent years but they have also impressed with their ability to replace them.
FA Cup and Conference League winners Sarr and Maxence Lacroix were brought in on the cheap as replacements for the world-class Michael Olise and the highly-rated Joachim Andersen.
Palace traded their astute business for big-money signings last January as they spent on Brennan Johnson and Jorgen Strand Larsen.
However, Gourdon says that Sage has the managerial nous to develop new players as well as the existing squad at Selhurst Park.
- From boos to BOOM! How Mateta won back Palace fans to become club legend
- How Glasner recreated iconic celebration after Conference League triumph
- How much prize money did Palace earn after European triumph?
”Sage and Lens's sporting director Jean-Louis Leca have done an incredible scouting job this year to build a team with mostly cheap players, which are now much more valuable than before.
”Mamadou Sangare has been one of, if not the, best Lens player this season and, if the club has an interesting offer from any Premier League club, he could easily go.
”But I think Sage considers that there is a huge difference between Lens' level and the Premier League's - therefore, I am not sure his first idea would be to bring in some Lens players.
”He is also a very appreciated coach by his players, wherever he went, so I think his relationship with Palace players, French or not, will be excellent.
”He even made Odsonne Edouard a great player this year, so he could do it with anyone really.”
Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.
Stream the Premier League, men’s and women’s FA Cups, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more live on TNT Sports and HBO Max
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement