crystal PalaceNew manager Pierre Sage has revealed that the club first approached him about the move in December.
L'Equipe has an interview Today with the new Palace boss in which he provides the background to the move, when the first contact took place and why he is happy to leave Champions League football at Lens.
Crystal Palace Contact
Crystal Palace confirmed Pierre Sage as their new head coach on a three-year deal last month, with him officially starting the job at Selhurst Park earlier this week.
Sage agreed to the change after an impressive season in France with Lens, where he guided them to second place in Ligue 1 and victory in the Coupe de France.
The Eagles moved quickly to secure the signature of the French coach after missing out on Andoni Ierola. At first it was unclear what direction they would take after Oliver Glasner announced his decision to leave the club at the beginning of the year. But Rishi insists that, in fact, the move has been a possibility since at least December.
"I had my first contact since December, and it didn't stop us from having a season," he said.
"They were only preliminary enquiries, so they did not question my contract. I told the club, but without telling them what my situation was, because I had no situation at the time."
first contact in december
And he insists that negotiations did not take place during the season, despite suspicions from some sections of the Lens fanbase.
“The first contact was with the palace in December,” he said.
“This helped me establish a rule for myself: it acted as a barrier against all other approaches, which I systematically postponed until after the league and the Coupe de France.
"There was an offer from one of the big Saudi clubs. And also from English, Italian, German, Turkish and French clubs, who all came from around April. But the priority was that there was a season to play and the commitment to the players had to be honoured."
premier league dream
Due to his departure from Lens and his rapid rise to prominence, he has few fans left at his former club. But he would like fans to see his reasoning and know why he had to take the opportunity now.
“Not long ago, I had a dream: to be part of the coaching staff at a professional club,” he explained.
"I achieved it when, after working as assistant manager at Red Star, I took charge of OL. Given my background, I never thought I would be able to achieve that position in my life. But once I achieved that dream, I told myself I needed to set my sights on something else. And that other dream was to make it to the Premier League one day.
"I have realized that this opportunity will not come again. For me, it is part of a slightly deeper context: I have not had a career before. My professional life in football spans from the age of 45 to 60. Maybe I am not at the same time as everyone else."
The biggest surprise is that he has left to play in the Champions League with the French team for Crystal Palace. The Eagles have enjoyed success under Glasner in recent years, but finished firmly in mid-table last season. However, Rishi sees it differently.
"When people say to me, "You won't play in the Champions League," I answer, "No, but I will play in the Champions League every weekend in the Premier League," he concluded.
