Crystal Palace rescued a point against Hoffenheim in the Europa League on Thursday, scoring in stoppage time despite being reduced to 10 men. However, the late 1-1 draw did little to ease the increasingly tense atmosphere around the club and manager Pierre Sage.
Much of the attention before and after the match focused on Axel Disasi’s absence. The France international, who has five caps, had started Palace’s previous Premier League fixture against Tottenham, a 2-0 defeat, but was not included in the matchday squad for the meeting with Hoffenheim.
Sage was unwilling to provide an explanation before kick-off, describing the omission as a decision he had made that afternoon and declining to identify any specific reason. His response remained similarly firm during his post-match press conference, where he characterised the matter as an internal decision that he did not wish to discuss.
When asked whether Disasi’s situation was comparable to the earlier exclusions of Jaydee Canvot and Evann Guessand, Sage again declined to elaborate. He also rejected the opportunity to address a question about whether the lack of explanations reflected a loss of control in the dressing room, leaving that interpretation with the journalist.
The scrutiny comes during a difficult run for Palace. As reported by the Time on October 20, poor results had already placed Sage under pressure. The Eagles have won only one of their last five matches in all competitions and are in the Premier League relegation zone, ensuring that the uncertainty surrounding the manager remains unresolved.
