Lyon will not be offering Pierre Sage an escape route out of Crystal Palace, despite their previous relationship.
The French side are heading in a different direction than their former boss, despite their previously happy relationship.
Sage finds himself under increasing pressure at Selhurst Park despite only being appointed in the summer. The 47-year-old has endured a difficult start to life in South London, with Palace currently 18th in the table.
A 2-0 defeat away to Tottenham last weekend marked their third consecutive league defeat and left them with just two wins from their opening nine league games.
The underlying numbers are not pretty either. Crystal Palace currently have the league’s worst expected goals conceded number, have conceded 59 shots already and have conceded at least two goals in 12 of their last 14 games. Under Sage, they are averaging 2.33 goals conceded per game.
Lyon return?
Some are already calling for change, with England’s Anthony Barry named as a potential replacement this week.
A possible resolve to the issue could have been the impending vacancy at Lyon. They’re set to lose Paulo Fonseca, who has left the club to join Sporting Club de Portugal.
While unexpected and sudden, the move has left the French side with a €5m compensation fee in their pocket and €2.8m in salary savings as well – money that can be used to get in his replacement.
Many supporters had hoped that would be Sage. The Crystal Palace manager led Lyon from November 2023 to January 2025, leading them away from relegation troubles to the Europa League and the Coupe de France final.
His 1.93 points per game average stands as one of the highest for any permanent Lyon manager in the modern era.
He is still well thought of at the club as a result and some fans had been quietly hoping he was on the shortlist to replace Fonseca.
Lyon have other plans
But Score.fr report that there will be no approach for the Palace boss. Indeed, it was swiftly ruled out by the Lyon board.
Despite enduring a tough start at Selhurst Park, Lyon have made absolutely no contact with their former boss. The primary reason is contractual. Sage is tied to Palace until 2029, making any attempt to bring him back ‘exceptionally complex’.
There is also a tactical element to it. Lyon’s board are seeking a candidate capable of maintaining tactical continuity with the work initiated by Fonseca, while also introducing fresh ideas.
That is not something they see happening with Pierre Sage. Instead, the preferred candidate is Carlos Vicens, a former assistant to Pep Guardiola. He is out of work after being dismissed by Braga, a further bonus for Lyon.
