Sage returns to his former club on Thursday for Palace’s Europa League meeting with Lyon, having left the French side earlier this year. Despite now living in London, the coach admitted that his emotional ties to the city remain strong.
“I still feel a little bit Lyonnais. I have my house here, and when people ask me where I live, even though I am London-based now, I say Lyon,” Sage said at his pre-match press conference.
“I feel as though I left yesterday, because the last time was on May 17, and I have missed you.”
The Frenchman also reflected on how his identity has followed him through his coaching career, from Lyon to Lens and now Crystal Palace.
“I am now a Lyonnais who coaches Palace, just as I was a Lyonnais who coached Lens,” he explained, drawing a comparison with Bruno Genesio, who is now associated with Marseille.
Asked whether he could one day coach Marseille, Lyon’s historic rivals, Sage did not rule it out entirely.
“Perhaps not for now. But I would say there is another club you cannot coach when you are Lyonnais,” he said with a smile.
The remark was widely interpreted as a reference to Saint-Étienne, Lyon’s fierce regional rivals. Sage did not name the club, leaving the implication hanging.
His immediate focus, however, is on the Europa League fixture and the challenge of facing a side he knows well. Sage acknowledged that his familiarity with Lyon could help inform Palace’s preparations, but stressed that his players still needed to understand their opponents’ current approach.
He also recognised the emotional element of returning to a club where he spent a significant period of his coaching career.
“There is always an extra emotional dimension because of the past you have with a club and the city you are returning to,” he said. “But you have to put that aside, because the most important thing is what you can achieve here today.”
Sage has now returned to Lyon several times in 2026, but Thursday’s meeting will be different as he leads an English club into European competition against his former employers.
His affection for Lyon is clear. Whether that loyalty would prevent him from taking charge of Saint-Étienne is a question he left unanswered, though his playful response suggested the rivalry remains a serious consideration.