Pierre Sage will be unveiled as the new manager of Crystal Palace as soon as the Frenchman receives a work permit.
That is the final hurdle for Steve Parish before he can announce the 47-year-old as the replacement for Oliver Glasner. A sum of £2.6m in compensation has already been agreed with RC Lens, and Sage has shaken hands on a contract running until July 2029.
Having never managed outside of France before, many Crystal Palace fans are wondering if the man born in Lons-le-Saunier can speak English.
Fortunately, he can – according to BBC Sport.
Initial thoughts on Pierre Sage? 🤔
He can boast a 67.5% win ratio from 40 games at RC Lens 😍
Pierre Sage understood to have a “good” grasp of the English language
One thing that stood out when Glasner replaced Roy Hodgson in February 2024 was how well the Austrian could speak English – which no doubt played a huge part in him winning seven of his first 13 Premier League games.
BBC Sport believe Sage is “understood to be at a good level” when it comes to speaking English, and it is not felt that there will be any communication issues which “hinder” him in SE25.
If there are any language barriers at times, the incoming Crystal Palace boss will be helped by the presence of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Maxence Lacroix and Jaydee Canvot, the French trio who can all speak English quite well.
How to pronounce Pierre Sage
Many Crystal Palace supporters are also wondering how to pronounce the name of Glasner’s replacement.
It is understood that Pierre Sage is pronounced like “Pee-air Sahzh” for any Crystal Palace fans who were keen to know.
What was your favourite part about the trip to Leipzig? 🇩🇪
We hope that will make life a bit easier, but considering a painfully large number of fans called James Tomkins ‘James Tompkins‘ for almost the entirety of his eight-year spell at Crystal Palace, we doubt supporters will get the hang of Sage immediately.
