Crystal Palace have sacked manager Pierre Sage after just 16 matches in charge, leaving the club bottom of the Premier League table. Sage was appointed in June on a three-year contract to replace Oliver Glasner, and he won only two of his 10 Premier League games before his departure. Palace's final match under him was a 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, their fourth successive league defeat.

The former Lyon and Lens boss oversaw a team that has the worst defensive record in the Premier League this season, having conceded 24 goals. The club's position is a sharp fall from the period under Glasner, who presided over the most successful spell in Palace's history, winning the FA Cup, Conference League and Community Shield. Several key players from that era, including Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz, left in the summer, and Palace were the lowest spenders in the Premier League during that window.S1

Palace are now working on a deal to bring in Thomas Frank as his replacement, with BBC Sport reporting that talks are advanced. Frank has been out of work since being sacked as Tottenham boss in February, after less than eight months in charge that ended with the club 16th, five points above the relegation zone. He had earlier enjoyed success at Brentford between 2018 and 2025, taking the club into the Premier League and establishing them there, including a ninth-place finish in 2023. Palace's list of other candidates included Frank Lampard, Sean Dyche, Vitor Pereira, Kim Hellberg, Vitor Matos, Tony Popovic, Jens Berthel Askou and Ole Werner.S1S2

Palace also sit 21st in the 36-team Europa League table after one win from their four matches, adding to the pressure on the club as the new appointment is finalised.S2