Pierre Sage (French pronunciation: [pjɛʁ saʒ]; born 5 May 1979) is a French professional football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Premier League club Crystal Palace. He has previously managed French clubs Lyon and Lens.
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Early life
Pierre Sage was born on 5 May 1979 in Lons-le-Saunier, Jura.
Managerial career
Early career
Sage spent his entire footballing career with CS Belley as an amateur footballer from the age of 6 to 24, and started educating with them at the age of 16. At the age of 24 he moved to Oyonnax Plastics Vallée where he started as a technical manager. In 2003, he moved to Châteauroux to work as a scout for a season. In 2004, he worked as a technical director of PL Vallée, before moving to FBBP01 as a team manager in 2007. His first stint as a senior manager was with Chambéry in 2013. He returned to team management under Sedan in 2016, before going to Lyon-Duchère in 2018 as assistant manager.
Lyon
In 2019, he had his first stint as a youth coach with Lyon, before moving to Red Star as an assistant manager. In July 2023, he returned to Lyon as the manager of their academy. On 30 November 2023, he was appointed as the interim manager of Lyon after Fabio Grosso was sacked. On 11 January 2024, he was confirmed as manager of Lyon until the end of the season, where they qualified for the UEFA Europa League. Later that year, on 3 July, he signed a new contract with Lyon until 2026. He was sacked on 27 January 2025 after a series of bad results.
Lens
On 2 June 2025, Sage signed with Ligue 1 side Lens on a three-year deal. In his first season with the club, he led them to reach the Coupe de France final, their first appearance in the final since 1998. He also secured a second-place finish to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. On 22 May 2026, Sage guided Lens to their first ever Coupe de France title, with a 3–1 victory over Nice at the Stade de France.
Crystal Palace
On the back of his success at Lens, Sage was appointed manager of Premier League team Crystal Palace in June 2026 on a three-year contract.
Managerial statistics
As of match played 5 November 2026
Honours
Lyon
Coupe de France runner-up: 2023–24
Lens
Coupe de France: 2025–26
Individual
UNFP Ligue 1 Manager of the Year: 2025–26