Lens’ relationship with head coach Pierre Sage ‘beyond repair’ as crunch talks with Crystal Palace loom

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Lens head coach Pierre Sage has decided to leave Les Sang et Orafter only one season in charge. The former Lyon manager succeeded Will Still a year ago and took Lens to their maiden Coupe de France title after pushing PSG to a tighter-than-expected Ligue 1 title race. In 40 games with Lens, Sage oversaw 28 wins, four draws and eight losses.

Such a feat would have been near-impossible to repeat neat season, let alone with the extra workload of at least eight Champions League games, which prompted Sage to consider his options as several European clubs made their interest known. L’Equipereports that Lens executives were not that surprised when Sage told them on Tuesday that he would leave.

On the back of Lens’ Coupe de France triumph, the 47-year-old head coach told several French outlets that, while his heart was still in Lens, he was also highly sought after and needed time to assess his options, despite the fact he was tied to a contract set to expire in 2028. These statements were reportedly poorly received within Lens, with some citing the once fruitful relation as now “ beyond repair.”

L’Equipe understands that Sage kept the door open for a second season in Northern France, but Lens had no intention to move forward with a manager whose head was obviously turned. The planned arrival of Lorient assistant coach Yannick Cahuzac already caused some unexpected tension within the coaching set-up.

The outlet adds that Crystal Palace have identified Sage as their priority target to replace Oliver Glasner. Lens are expected to hold talks with the Eagles over Sage’s exit terms. Palace are reportedly ready to triple or even quadruple Sage’s Lens wages to fulfill his dream of experiencing Premier League football from the dugout.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval