Crystal Palace Sack Pierre Sage With Club Bottom of the Premier League

Crystal Palace have sacked manager Pierre Sage after less than five months in charge, with the club bottom of the Premier League. Palace confirmed the decision in a short statement on Thursday, November 12. Sage, 47, leaves after 16 matches in all competitions and just two wins from his 10 league games.

"Crystal Palace Football Club can confirm that Pierre Sage has left his role as manager," the club said. Three members of his coaching staff, Jamal Alioui, Damien Della Santa and Sandy Guichard, have also left the club. Palace thanked Sage and his staff for their efforts and said an update on appointing a new manager would come in due course.

A short spell that never took hold

Sage arrived in June 2026 on a three year contract, succeeding Oliver Glasner. Glasner had led Palace to the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the UEFA Conference League in a run of success the club had never known. Sage came with a strong record of his own. He had taken Lens to second place in Ligue 1 and to the club's first Coupe de France title, and the French players union named him Ligue 1 manager of the year.

The Premier League gave him no time to settle. Palace have seven points from 10 league matches, with two wins and one draw. They have conceded 24 league goals, the worst defensive record in the division. In Europe, Palace sit 21st in the 36 team Europa League league phase table with one win from four matches. Their one clear positive under Sage was a run to the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup.

The Liverpool defeat was the last one

Palace lost 3-1 at home to Liverpool on Sunday, November 8. It was their fourth straight league defeat, and it dropped them to the bottom of the table for the first time in nearly nine years. Sage had nearly lost his job last month after a 5-0 defeat at Brighton, according to Sky Sports, and was told then that the defending had to improve. It did not improve enough, and the Liverpool result settled the decision during the international break.

His overall record reads five wins, three draws and eight defeats in 16 matches. Only Frank de Boer, with five matches, has overseen fewer games as a permanent Palace manager in the club's history.

Frank leads the list of reported candidates

Palace now need a manager before the league season resumes. Thomas Frank, the former Brentford and Tottenham manager, is the leading candidate in reports across British media. The Times reported that Frank is in advanced talks with the club, and Sky Sports reported that Palace are working on a deal to bring him in. Sean Dyche has also been mentioned as a possible appointment. None of this is confirmed by the club. Palace do not play again until November 21, when they travel to Coventry City, and reports say the club wants the new manager in place before that match.

Sage was not the only Premier League manager to lose his job on Thursday. Manchester United sacked Michael Carrick the same morning. Opta noted that it is only the sixth time in Premier League history that two managers have left their jobs on the same day during a season, and the first time since December 15, 2024.