Last season, Lens were one of the stories of French football. This season, they’re making headlines for the wrong reasons.
The Night It Broke
On Wednesday 4 November, Como came to Stade Bollaert-Delelis for matchday four of the Champions League and left with a historic result. The Italians won 9-1, equaling the record for the biggest winning margin in the modern Champions League, and became only the second team to score nine in a game in the competition, after Bayern Munich’s 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb in 2024. It was Como’s first-ever Champions League campaign.
Read on: Como Bury Lens 9-1 in Historic Champions League Rout
The Aftermath
Yannick Cahuzac didn’t hide from it. He called it a humiliation. Four days later, it got worse. Lens lost 2-1 at home to Marseille in Ligue 1. Then came the decision. Lens sacked Cahuzac less than a week after the Como defeat.
The Second Coach to Go
Cahuzac’s spell was brief. He lasted just 56 days in charge of the first team, making him the second manager Lens have sacked since the season began. His predecessor, Dino Toppmoller, was appointed on 16 June and started with a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Trophee des Champions, but left after a few weeks. German reports said his exit was driven by a dispute over his assistant rather than results. Toppmoller said the club wanted to dismiss assistant Nelson Morgado, and described being shocked and speechless. The exit was later framed as a mutual parting.
Also Read: Nico Paz: The Prodigy Real Madrid Let Go and Can’t Forget
How Far Have RC Lens Fallen
The contrast with last season is stark. Under Pierre Sage, Lens won the French Cup and finished second in the league behind PSG. But this season they are struggling at 11th in Ligue 1.
Pierre Sage: A Possible Replacement
Sage is now at Crystal Palace, and the stability he created has gone with him. Two managers have been dismissed in a few months, and a record-equalling defeat in Europe has made things worse. Lens are now considering going back to Sage to stem the rot and bring stability to a beleaguered outfit. Sage is in troubled waters at Crystal Palace, with his side at the bottom of the EPL standings, and his position is barely hanging by a thread. A return to Lens is a great possibility for Sage.
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