Mauricio Pochettino will return to the Camp Nou. But not as a local coach, but as a visiting coach. And it is that the Argentine has been confirmed this Friday as the new head of the Paris Saint-Germain bench. In this way, the former Spaniard will lead the main team in France to replace the retired Thomas Tuchel.
PSG announced the dismissal of the German the day before Christmas, and made official his replacement the day after the new year. Pochettino will have the mission, first, to straighten the course of the Paris club in Ligue 1, where he is currently third, just one point behind the leader, but with an unusual record of 4 defeats and 2 draws in the first 17 games of the competition, which do not correspond – in the eyes of the owner – with the potential of a set built on a checkbook.
But, above all, Pochettino’s job will be to get the Champions League, a title that PSG was about to win last season, but which escaped him in the Lisbon final against Bayern Munich. The first hurdle for this dream will be Barça, against whom they will face in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The last precedent is that of 2017, when Barça went back 4-0 in the first leg with the historic 6-1 at the Camp Nou.
“I will do my best to optimize PSG’s results”
“This team has fantastic potential and I will do my best with my coaching staff to optimize results in all competitions. We will do our best to give our team the identity of the combinatorial and offensive game that Paris fans have always liked.” , Pochettino said in a statement.
The 48-year-old Argentine has signed until June 2022, with the option of one more season depending on the results. However, the financial details of the contract have not been disclosed. Pochettino is not a newcomer to the French team, as he wore the PSG shirt between 2001 and 2003. He played 95 games, scored six goals and became captain.
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