Lens manager Pierre Sage has admitted he’s speaking to Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris and QPR’s Julien Stéphan as he looks to move to England in future.
L’Equipe have a big interview with the Lens manager this week. In that he discusses his dream of managing in England one day.
Sage has largely spent his career in various roles in France, working as a sports co-ordinator, scout, technical director and team manager before becoming a manager at SO Chambéry.
That was a brief four-month role before he was then a Team Manager again and Assistant Manager before becoming a youth coach at Lyon. That lasted two years before an Assistant Manager role at Red Star FC for a year.
He then returned to Lyon as Academy Manager before being handed the manager’s job in November 2023. That lasted for 53 games in total before he departed at the beginning of 2025.
Lens appointed him in July and he’s been impressing since. His 19 games so far have seen him record a 2.42 points per game ratio. That’s put Lens top of Ligue 1, a point ahead of PSG. They are eight points clear of Marseille and Lille in third and fourth and 10 ahead of former club Lyon in fifth.
It’s impressive, to say the least, and has established Sage as a name to keep an eye on in future. Clubs in England will certainly be watching Lens closely this season.
It seems Sage isn’t against that either. He admits it’s his dream to manage in England. And, in fact, he’s already been in contact with his friends at Sunderland and QPR to learn all about managing across the Channel.
Desire to follow path of Sunderland and QPR friends
“My recent experience tells me that at some point, everything can happen,” he said.
“That’s why I’m staying on the back. Either way, I dream of training in England. For years, I dreamed of coaching as a professional. The next dream is to train in England. But it goes through a success in my various projects that precede.
“Already, I was in contact with Régis (Le Bris, Sunderland manager) before we were coaches of that level, since we were exchanging a lot about training methodologies. I’m very happy with what’s happening to him but not surprised at all. Because he is, in my opinion, one of the brightest people I have met in this environment.
“And Julien (Stéphan QPR manager), we met in Lyon, because he was doing an interview for the Vestiaires platform. I had come to greet them, and we had exchanged on this club, since we had information to share each other.”
