Mauricio Pochettino’s career at PSG began on Saturday February 3, 2001 with a defeat on the Beaujoire lawn in Nantes (1-0). Almost 20 years later, the Argentinian coach will begin, on January 6, his second stint in the PSG coach costume, this time at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Etienne. The 48-year-old technician will officially become, within a few days, the eleventh man to successively assume the two functions in Paris.
For those who rubbed shoulders with PSG between 2001 and 2003, the return of “Pocket” sounds obvious. “I love the idea that a former player comes home, because he already belongs to the family,” said Didier Domi, who played with Pochettino at PSG (2001-2003) and Espanyol Barcelona (2004-2006). ). Like Leonardo, he brings skill while having credit for his past at the club. He ticks all the boxes. “
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When he arrived from Barcelona at the age of 28, during the winter of 2001, with his long hair and solid build, the future captain did not take long to succeed in his seduction operation. On and off the pitch. “He was easy to access, he went to others and made the effort to speak French very quickly,” recalls former goalkeeper Lionel Letizi. He’s a really good guy. He was unifying with great human values. He wasn’t the type to bark. I remember someone calm and composed with a thoughtful and sane speech. So we necessarily listened to him. And defensively, it was very reassuring to play behind him. “
“Charming, intelligent and cultivated”
Very quickly, his teammates understand that the Argentine is more than just a central defender. “He wanted to understand things, on the pitch, at the club and in everyday life, explains Jimmy Algerino, present when he arrived in France in 2001. He reminded me a little of Leonardo with this desire to take an interest asset. He was a real great professional who had the notion of the group. He was unanimous in the team. Lots of little signs showed that he could claim a career as a coach. What he achieves is therefore an expected continuity. “
Jovial and friendly, Pochettino brings a South American warmth to the Camp des Loges in the company of the Spanish speakers Gabriel Heinze and Cristobal. Even if he constantly displayed his desire to unite the locker room. “He was always there for the group and never hesitated to go see the young people,” continues Domi. We had the impression that his integration into the club and the country was easy. “When he arrived, I was still his translator,” laughs Alain Simon, the former doctor of the Parisian club.
The practitioner remembers a player “charming, intelligent and cultured” but also “very serious”: “Mauricio was open and human. For example, he really liked learning about the cities where we traveled. I’m not surprised that he became a coach, he already had the profile. “His” diplomatic “character, according to Domi, stuck well with the function of captain that he quickly assumed in Paris. “It was Luis’s relay ( Editor’s note: Fernandez ), Letizi explains. Today, he has the profile for PSG where he has kept a beautiful image. He has a real game plan and wherever he went, his teams played well with the ball. Its results give it legitimacy. “
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Domi agrees: “He has everything to succeed: a good relationship with the players and a good organization with his staff. He knows how to handle the pressure and his football ideas stick with Paris. He has all the cards in his hand. It’s up to him to play!
