Pierre Sage in danger, the Eagles seek his successor
Pierre Sage is currently bottom of the Premier League with Crystal Palace, and it is unknown whether he will manage the next match of the Eagles after the international break. Thomas Frank and Sean Dyche are the main favourites to replace him. Despite a difficult English adventure, Pierre Sage should not lack opportunities in the future.
By a strange coincidence, his former clubs Lyon and Lens are in the process of changing manager. His name keeps coming up in the discussions. At Lens, Pierre Sage’s return is a real possibility.
President Joseph Oughourlian would make it his priority to succeed Yannick Cahuzac, who was dismissed this week. At Lyon, however, another option has been chosen. Pierre Sage at Lyon, that’s a no.
Lyon and Lens looking for a manager
Even though some supporters dreamed of him, OL did not explore this avenue. “Pierre is under contract. So no, it was not really an option,” said sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean. OL could have waited to see how the situation at Crystal Palace develops for Pierre Sage.
The Lyon executives chose to bet on Carlos Vicens. “Carlos’s profile was at the top of our list,” explained Louis-Jean. It was a possibility for next summer, if OL had not been able to extend Paulo Fonseca, who left for Sporting Portugal.
Carlos matched what they were looking for in terms of playing project and philosophy. They wanted a young manager, Carlos Vicens being 43, ambitious, hungry, capable of developing young players, ticking many boxes. A profile not very far from Pierre Sage’s, but…