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November 12, 2026

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Sports

Crystal Palace Sack Pierre Sage After Just 16 Games as Thomas Frank Moves Into Advanced Talks

Faizan Altaf

Crystal Palace have sacked Pierre Sage after just five months and 16 games in charge, ending one of the shortest managerial reigns in the club’s history. The Frenchman leaves with Palace bottom of the Premier League, and former Brentford and Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is in advanced talks to replace him.

The club confirmed the decision on Thursday, 12 November 2026. In a short statement, Palace said: “Crystal Palace Football Club can confirm that Pierre Sage has left his role as Manager. The club would like to place on record its thanks to Pierre and his staff for their efforts during their time in South London, and wish them well for the future.”

Three members of Sage’s coaching staff — Jamal Alioui, Damien Della Santa and Sandy Guichard — have also left the club. Palace said an update on the process of appointing a new manager would be provided in due course.

Sage is the second Premier League manager to lose his job this season — and the second on the same day. Manchester United sacked Michael Carrick just hours earlier on Thursday, making 12 November a day of double upheaval in the English top flight.

What happened at Selhurst Park

Sage was appointed on 15 June 2026 on a three-year contract, succeeding Oliver Glasner, who left to take charge of Nottingham Forest. He arrived with a strong reputation after leading Lens to a surprise second-place finish in Ligue 1 last season, behind only Paris Saint-Germain, and winning the club’s first-ever Coupe de France trophy.

But the move to English football never worked. Palace won only two of their first 10 Premier League matches, and Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat by Liverpool was their fourth league defeat in a row. The Eagles have not won a league game since 11 October, and they sit at the bottom of the table during the November international break — the first time since December 2017 that Palace have found themselves bottom of the Premier League at the end of a matchday.

In all competitions, Sage won five of his 16 games, drew three and lost eight — a win rate of 31.25%. Only Frank de Boer, who lasted just five matches in 2017, has overseen fewer games than Sage among permanent managers in Crystal Palace’s 121-year history.

Reports say the decision to part ways with Sage was taken earlier in the week, before the club made it official on Thursday. The timing is deliberate: Palace do not play again until 21 November, when they visit Coventry City, so a new manager would have the international break to work with the squad before the next match.

Why Palace acted now

The numbers behind the decision are stark. Palace have conceded 24 goals in their first 10 Premier League games — the worst defensive record in the division. No other team in the league has let in as many goals, and the back line that was supposed to be the foundation of Sage’s team has leaked goals almost every week.

The Liverpool defeat on Sunday summed up the problem. Palace were beaten 3-1 at home, a result that left them rooted to the foot of the table and extended their losing run to four matches. The performance, rather than just the result, appears to have convinced the club’s hierarchy that a change was needed now, rather than waiting for the situation to get worse.

Europe has offered no comfort either. Palace sit 21st in the 36-team Europa League standings, with only one win from their first four games in the competition. The club’s first season in the Europa League has added fixtures and pressure without bringing the results to match.

There is also the wider picture. Palace’s owners have watched the gap to safety remain small — the teams above them are within reach — but the direction of travel has been the wrong way. Acting during the international break gives a new manager two weeks with the players who are not away on international duty, plus time to prepare for the trip to Coventry.

Sage’s short reign in numbers

  • Games in charge: 16 in all competitions
  • Record: Won 5, drew 3, lost 8 (31.25% win rate)
  • Premier League record: Won 2, drew 1, lost 7 in 10 games
  • Goals conceded in the league: 24 in 10 games — the worst in the division
  • League position: 20th, bottom of the table
  • Europa League: 21st of 36 teams, one win from four games
  • Last league win: 11 October
  • Final game: 3-1 home defeat by Liverpool on Sunday

Sage’s time in charge lasted less than five months from his appointment on 15 June to his departure on 12 November. He arrived as one of the most talked-about young coaches in Europe after his success at Lens, where he took a club with modest resources to second place in France and a first major trophy. At Palace, that promise never turned into points.

The 47-year-old Frenchman had never managed in England before, and the Premier League proved a much harder test than Ligue 1. His team struggled to keep clean sheets, conceded early goals too often, and never found a settled shape. The four-match losing run that ended his reign included defeats that left Palace chasing games they could not rescue.

Thomas Frank: the man expected to take over

Thomas Frank, 53, is the leading candidate to replace Sage, and BBC Sport reports that he is in advanced talks with the club. The former Brentford and Tottenham boss has been out of work since Tottenham dismissed him in February, after just under eight months in charge.

Frank’s time at Tottenham ended after an eight-match winless run in the Premier League that left Spurs 16th in the table, just five points above the relegation places. But his reputation was built at Brentford, where he spent more than six years and established himself as one of the most respected coaches in English football.

Palace had already considered Frank in the summer, before they chose Sage, and he has been on their list of possible replacements for weeks. Sean Dyche, another former Premier League manager, was reported as the early frontrunner at the end of last month, but Frank is now the clear favourite, and bookmakers have suspended betting on him taking the job.

If Frank is appointed, he would take charge of a team that needs an immediate lift. His first job would be to tighten up a defence that has conceded 24 league goals in 10 games, and to find a way to turn draws and narrow defeats into wins. His record at Brentford — where he built a team that was hard to beat and dangerous on the counter-attack — is exactly the profile Palace appear to be looking for.

The club want the new manager in place before the Coventry game on 21 November. That gives the incoming coach the international break to assess the squad, work on the training ground, and prepare for a run of fixtures that will shape Palace’s season.

A day of two sackings

Sage’s departure came just hours after Manchester United sacked Michael Carrick on Thursday, making him the second Premier League manager to lose his job in a single day — and the second of the season.

Carrick’s dismissal, after United’s poor start to the campaign, had already made Thursday a dramatic day in English football. Palace’s announcement a few hours later added to the sense that the international break has become the moment for clubs to make big decisions.

For Palace, the timing is also about the calendar. The international break is the first natural pause in the season, and it is the last chance to change manager before the busy winter schedule begins. Waiting any longer would have meant a new coach arriving in the middle of a run of fixtures, with no time to work with the players.

What happens next

Palace’s next match is away at Coventry City on Saturday, 21 November. That game now looks like the first match of a new era at Selhurst Park — whether Frank is in the dugout by then, or whether the club need a few more days to complete the appointment.

Whoever takes over will inherit a squad that is better than its league position suggests. Palace have players who have performed at this level before, and the gap to the teams above them is not yet large. The task is to stop conceding goals, rebuild confidence, and turn the season around before the relegation battle becomes a long, grinding fight.

The new manager will also have the January transfer window in sight. If Palace are still in trouble by then, the club may need to strengthen the squad. But the first priority is simpler: win a league game. Palace have not done that since 11 October, and that run has to end soon.

For Sage, the future is uncertain. Reports in France had linked him with a return to Lens, but BBC Sport journalist Sami Mokbel reported that Sage wants to take a break from football to recharge his batteries after a difficult five months in London. At 47, with a Ligue 1 runners-up finish and a Coupe de France on his CV, he is unlikely to be short of offers when he is ready to return.

Why this matters

Managerial sackings are a regular part of football, but this one tells a bigger story about the Premier League in 2026-27. Two managers lost their jobs on the same day, both after poor starts to the season, and both clubs acted during the international break to give their replacements time to work.

For Palace, the Sage experiment is a warning about how quickly a promising appointment can go wrong. He arrived with a strong reputation, a three-year contract and the backing of the club. Five months later, he is gone, with the team bottom of the league and the defence in disarray.

The next appointment matters more than most. Get it right, and Palace can climb away from trouble and rebuild. Get it wrong, and the club face a long season fighting relegation — a fight they have not faced in years.

Frequently asked questions

Why was Pierre Sage sacked by Crystal Palace?

Palace sacked Sage after a poor start to the season left the club bottom of the Premier League. He won only two of his first 10 league games, lost four in a row, and his team had the worst defensive record in the division, conceding 24 goals in 10 matches.

How long was Pierre Sage in charge of Crystal Palace?

Sage was in charge for just under five months. He was appointed on 15 June 2026 and sacked on 12 November 2026, overseeing 16 games in all competitions.

Who will replace Pierre Sage at Crystal Palace?

Thomas Frank, the former Brentford and Tottenham boss, is in advanced talks to take over, according to BBC Sport. Frank, 53, has been out of work since Tottenham sacked him in February 2026.

What was Pierre Sage’s record at Crystal Palace?

In all competitions, Sage won five, drew three and lost eight of his 16 games — a win rate of 31.25%. In the Premier League, he won two, drew one and lost seven of his 10 matches.

When is Crystal Palace’s next match?

Palace’s next match is away at Coventry City on Saturday, 21 November 2026, after the international break. The club hope to have a new manager in place before that game.

Who is the shortest-serving Crystal Palace manager?

Frank de Boer lasted just five games in 2017, the fewest of any permanent Palace manager. Sage, with 16 games, is the second-shortest-serving permanent manager in the club’s 121-year history.

Conclusion

Pierre Sage’s time at Crystal Palace lasted just five months and 16 games — a brief, unhappy spell that ended with the club bottom of the Premier League and the worst defence in the division. The 3-1 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday was the final straw, and Palace acted during the international break to give a new manager time to turn things around.

Thomas Frank now looks set to take over, with talks reported to be advanced. The former Brentford boss has the experience Palace need, and the club will hope he can do what Sage could not: make the team hard to beat, stop the goals going in, and climb away from the bottom of the table.

The first test comes at Coventry on 21 November. By then, Palace hope to have a new manager, a new plan, and a new start.

Sources

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Faizan Altaf

Faizan Altaf is the founder and author of findivoza.com, a news blog covering world, Pakistan, business, technology, health and sport in plain English. He writes for general readers who want clear, trustworthy news without jargon. His work focuses on explaining what happened, why it matters, and what to watch next.

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