2022-07-05
Paris SG confirmed on Tuesday the departure of Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, who had been known for weeks, just before the scheduling of a press conference this afternoon where Christophe Galtier should be presented as the new coach of the French club.
“Paris Saint-Germain confirms that it has ended its collaboration with Mauricio Pochettino,” PSG writes in a laconic statement, after a long negotiation with the Argentine coach to conclude his contract early, which ended in 2023.
It was a long process of breaking up with “Poche” (50 years old), appointed in January 2021, which prevented PSG from advancing earlier in the reorganization of its technical team.
According to a source close to the case, Galtier (55 years old) made a two-year commitment to the French champion and will be presented this Tuesday at a press conference at the Parc des Princes.
The former coach of Nice, champion with Lille in 2021, will have, like Pochettino, a luxury squad with superstars Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi, with the aim of finally offering PSG a first Champions League.
In a year and a half in Paris, “Poche” failed to get the best out of this XXL team.
The former defender and former captain of PSG (2001-2003) will remain as the coach who won the tenth L1 title in the club’s history, equaling Saint-Etienne’s record.
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But he lacked that Champions League, which is PSG’s obsession, despite the fact that the French teams only add one great continental title, conquered by Marseille in 1993.
Pochettino reached the semifinals in 2021, eliminated by Manchester City (loses 2-1 and 2-0), and the eighth in 2022 against Real Madrid (1-0, 1-3), despite the reinforcement of Messi.
In a club that wants to win quickly, the Argentine also accumulated too many setbacks at the national level: Ligue 1 lost in May 2021 to Lille de Galtier, Super Cup lost in August 2021 against Lille, elimination in the round of 16 of the French Cup of 2022.
Pochettino, who had previously been on the bench at Espanyol in Barcelona (2009-2012), Southampton (2013-2014) and Tottenham (2014-2019), will continue to have high-caliber suitors, and may continue in England, where he has a great prestige, having guided Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final (lost 2-0 against Liverpool).