South London side was a joy to watch for their fans as well as neutrals, and now they kick on with new coach after FA Cup and Conference League success
Crystal Palace are close to appointing Pierre Sage as their new manager after making the French coach their preferred candidate to succeed Oliver Glasner.
Palace are seeking continuity having experienced the most successful period in the club’s history over the past 12 months. They had never won a major trophy in their history before Glasner oversaw a remarkable run that delivered three trophies within that time.
First, they beat Manchester City at Wembley to win the FA Cup. Then they beat Liverpool to win the Community Shield, a significant achievement for a club of this stature. And then this last spring they won the Conference League, their first European trophy, and qualified for next season’s Europa League, the first time they will play at that level in Europe.
Glasner left at the end of the season, his departure having been anticipated since January when he publicly indicated his intention to leave. Palace then had to move quickly to identify a replacement.
Sage is understood to have agreed terms on a two-year contract with the option of a further year, after productive discussions with the Premier League club. Compensation is yet to be settled with Lens but is not expected to prevent a deal from being completed.
The 47-year-old became Palace’s leading choice after their pursuit of Andoni Iraola ended when the Spaniard opted to join Liverpool following his departure from Bournemouth. Palace were attracted by Sage’s tactical approach, which is viewed as compatible with the structure and style established under Glasner.
Sage enhanced his reputation by guiding Lens to second place in Ligue 1 and lifting the Coupe de France this season. He previously worked at Lyon, where he stepped up from the academy setup to take charge of the first team.
Meanwhile, Glasner is expected to continue his career in Serie A. The former Palace manager has held talks with AC Milan and could replace Massimiliano Allegri after the Italian club finished fifth and qualified for the Europa League.
Palace hope to finalise Sage’s appointment in the coming days but it is not clear for now what the club’s target will be. There was a sense that the achievements under Glasner were a significant high for the club, that it is unrealistic to carry on at that level or expect another manager to deliver the same success.
Yet in a way, those successes are now also an albatross round their necks, because palace know now that winning is possible. It will be interesting to see how the next phase pans out under Sage.
