He had long been considered the favorite in the French media, and now it’s official: Dino Toppmöller will take over as head coach of French runner-up RC Lens for the upcoming season.
One former Frankfurt coach is helping another: Oliver Glasner’s departure from Crystal Palace has set off a European coaching merry-go-round, at the end of which Dino Toppmöller—once Glasner’s direct successor at Eintracht—has found a new coaching job. The 45-year-old signed a two-year contract on Tuesday with French runner-up RC Lens. Meanwhile, the northern French club’s former coach, Pierre Sage—who most recently led Lens to victory in the French Cup—is moving to Crystal Palace for a reported three million euros, including bonus payments.
“RC Lens and Dino represent the coming together of two upward trajectories—two challengers who speak a common language: intensity,” General Manager Benjamin Parrot is quoted as saying: “With the upcoming season, in which the club returns to the Champions League, working with a coach who understands the demands of such a grueling weekly schedule is a huge asset.”
Strong Reputation in Luxembourg and Belgium
Toppmöller’s fluency in French is a major asset for his work in Ligue 1. The former striker ended his playing career—during which he played a total of 128 second-division matches for clubs including Bochum, Eintracht Frankfurt, and FC Augsburg—in Luxembourg with FC RM Hamm Benfica. In 2016, Toppmöller took over as head coach at F91 Dudelange and led the club to the Luxembourg championship each of the following three years. He then had a brief stint in Belgium with Royal Excelsior Virton.
In the summer of 2020, Toppmöller finally joined Julian Nagelsmann’s coaching staff and assisted the current German national team coach for one year at RB Leipzig and then for one and a half years at Bayern Munich. After both were dismissed from Bayern Munich in March 2023, the now 45-year-old took over at Eintracht Frankfurt, his first coaching position at the highest level.
Lens values Toppmöller’s affinity for the back three
He led SGE to a third-place finish in the 2024–25 season, securing a spot in the Champions League; however, following a weak second half of the season last year, he was forced to step down in Frankfurt. A little over half a year later, he is now taking on a new role in northern France. There, Toppmöller will once again have the opportunity to compete in Europe’s premier club competition.
“Dino fits the profile we were looking for perfectly,” says Jean-Louis Leca, Racing’s sporting director: “He is a coach who has already managed 45 European cup matches, knows the Champions League, speaks several languages—including French—and is known for developing young talent.” Toppmöller prefers a back three and is committed to “forward-thinking, attacking soccer,” which aligns with Lens’s DNA.