French Ligue 1 club RC Lens announced on Monday the appointment of Pierre Sage as the team's new head coach. Joining him as assistant coach for the next three seasons is former Moroccan international Jamal Alioui. Pierre Sage previously led the technical staff at Olympique Lyonnais, where the 43-year-old former Atlas Lions defender and right-back served as his second assistant. Alioui earned 20 caps with the Moroccan national team between 2003 and 2012. He featured in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2004, 2008, and 2012, and also represented Morocco at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was part of the squad that reached the AFCON final in Tunisia in 2004. Trained at Olympique Lyonnais, Alioui began his professional career in 2001 and went on to play for several European clubs, including Italy's Perugia, Catania, and Crotone, as well as France's Metz and Nantes. He also played for Swiss side FC Sion, with whom he won the Swiss Cup in 2009. His career also included stints in Morocco with Wydad Casablanca and in Qatar with Al-Kharaitiyat SC. Since retiring from playing, Alioui has steadily built a coaching career, climbing the ranks of French football's coaching system. The new coaching staff's contract with RC Lens runs until June 2028.
