Crystal Palace have officially announced the appointment of Pierre Sager as their head coach, with both parties agreeing to a three-year contract.

Crystal Palace have officially announced the appointment of Pierre Sager as their first-team manager. The 47-year-old French coach, who was named Ligue 1 Coach of the Year and led the team to the French Cup last season, has reached a three-year management agreement with the club, with the formalities pending visa confirmation.  

Pierre Sager delivered an impressive performance in his first full season in charge of Lens, leading the team to their first-ever French Cup and securing a Champions League spot, marking Lens' fourth appearance in the Champions League group stage.  

Under his leadership, Lens made significant progress in both their Ligue 1 ranking and points, rising six places and gaining 18 points in a single season, and even leading the standings for six consecutive rounds at one point. Ultimately, he completed his tenure at Lens with a win rate of 67.5%.  

During his time coaching Lyon, he also delivered an impressive record. When he took over in November 2023, the team was at the bottom of Ligue 1, but they won 15 of their next 20 league matches, successfully leading them to Europa League qualification and a place in the French Cup final. Furthermore, Pierre Sager has served as assistant coach and in various positions at several French clubs, accumulating over 20 years of coaching experience.  

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, speaking about the new manager, said: "We are delighted to welcome Pierre Sager to the team. He just won the title with Lens and helped the team achieve an excellent second place in Ligue 1. As we move into a new stage of European competition based on our success with Leipzig, I believe he will lead the team to continue pursuing even greater achievements."  

Speaking about joining Crystal Palace, Pierre Sager said: "I am very excited to be here. I am impressed by the club's history and its performance in recent years. Oliver Glasner has done a great job, and now it is my turn to continue that success, which is one of the reasons I came here. I joined with great ambition."  

“The overall environment here is very positive, and we share that mindset. We just won the title last season, and now we hope to continue our winning streak at our new club with new plans. We give our all every day for the team, the club, and all the fans. In England, supporting a team is often a lifelong commitment.”  

“Our goal is to make the fans happy and to make them proud of the team and the club. So we will do our best to show our best side, and we are always a team.”  

Image source: Internet/Crystal Palace official website