After failing to win the Champions League or, failing that, to offer an exciting game, Mauricio Pochettino was thanked by PSG. His replacement, Christophe Galtier, will be presented on Tuesday.
The contours of the new PSG are emerging: Mbappé, less “bling-bling”, and Christophe Galtier at the controls. Paris formalized Tuesday July 5, at the end of an interminable soap opera, the departure of the Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino in favor of the former coach of Nice. Like all its predecessors, “Galette” will have a priority objective: the Champions League.
The negotiation to oust “Poche”, who was under contract until 2023, ended up being successful and the club gave him a laconic farewell on Tuesday at midday on its website, just before the press conference to present Galtier Tuesday early afternoon.
The Frenchman (55), who according to a source familiar with the case has signed up for two seasons with the French champion, is expected at 2 p.m. at the Parc des Princes. He is the symbol of a new approach, less “bling-bling”, for the Parisian club, even if the former coach of OGC Nice has, like “Poche”, a luxury workforce.
“I’m moved, yes, I’m proud, yes,” said Galtier, who arrived alongside Parisian President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi. “I measure very precisely the responsibility given to me, to ensure that PSG have a great season. I have prepared for it. If I have accepted these responsibilities, it is because I am capable of it. ”
Pochettino “thanked”
It therefore took a month and a half, after the resounding announcement of the extension of superstar Kylian Mbappé, for the flagship of Qatar Sport Investment (QSI) to complete the almost complete overhaul of its organization chart.
“Paris Saint-Germain confirms that it has put an end to its collaboration with Mauricio Pochettino,” wrote PSG in a short press release, adding “thank” the Argentinian and his deputies.
Paris Saint-Germain confirms that it has ended its collaboration with Mauricio Pochettino.
The Club would like to thank Mauricio Pochettino and his staff for their work and wish them the best for the future.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) July 5, 2022
Then Galtier appeared in front of the journalists at the Parc des Princes.
“The Park is a symbol of French football. And faced with the phrase ‘Ici c’est Paris’ [l’un des slogans du club], we immediately feel the expectations of you, the specialists, and the supporters, and in relation to these expectations we will have to work in the right direction”, he argued. “But alone, it is impossible, together we are much stronger. It took me very little time to make my decision, but obviously the presence of Luis Campos at PSG was decisive,” he said.
“Obviously I want Neymar to stay, because when you have world-class players it’s better to have them with than against”, also launched the new technician as rumors swirled around the future of the Parisian n ° 10 (30 years old), arrived in 2017 for 222 million euros, a record sum. However, he warned, “not one player will be above the group”.
Since Monday evening, the arrival of Christophe Galtier was nevertheless an open secret, since the former Nice coach appeared in front of the cameras and the supporters, alongside the new sports adviser Luis Campos, in the courtyard of the “Factory “, the club’s administrative headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt, south-west of Paris.
The Campos-Galtier duo knows each other well for having worked together in Lille, laying the groundwork for Losc’s surprise title in Ligue 1 in 2021. It must symbolize the “end of glitter” and the return to “reality”, promised by the Parisian President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi in an interview with Le Parisien.
The Qatari leader has chosen to hire one of the most regular technicians of the last decade in France, but probably also the least experienced coach on the European scene of the QSI era.
“Galette” was snatched from Ineos’ Nice project, after a single correct, but not extraordinary, season. The technician took his team to the final of the Coupe de France, lost against Nantes (1-0), and to fifth place in L1, synonymous with the Europa League Conference.
The negotiations were tough: it was first necessary to find a financial agreement with the Nice club, reluctant to let go of its free coach, despite a mixed season. Then negotiate the departure of Pochettino and his staff, who had one year of contract left: this eviction, finally formalized on Tuesday, prevented PSG from formalizing the arrival of Galtier earlier, even though Nice had announced his departure since June 27.
The tenacious rumor of Zidane
At the same time, the tenacious rumor of the arrival of Zinedine Zidane was difficult to extinguish. President Al-Khelaïfi tried to do so in an interview with the daily Le Parisien, assuring that he had “never” explored this track, preferring a coach “who will be the best for what we want to put in place” .
Galtier becomes the third Frenchman of the Qatari era, after Antoine Koumbouaré, quickly landed in 2011, and Laurent Blanc (2014-16).
Reputed to be a good leader of men, even if he has never had so many stars under his command (Messi, Neymar, Mbappé …), this native of Marseilles has a lot to prove: he suffers from European experience limited, with no victory in six Champions League games, the competition that Qatari owners are obsessed with.
Known for relying on solid defenses and very fast counterattacks, Galtier will quickly be able to communicate his plans to the big names in the Parisian group.
The players have indeed been back for 24 hours at the training center, with the resumption on Tuesday of Neymar, Lionel Messi, Marquinhos and goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Keylor Navas, after that, Monday, of Marco Verratti, Sergio Ramos, Mauro Icardi or even Georginio Wijnaldum. The first recruit of the new era, the Portuguese Vitinha, is also already there.
The preparation of the Parisians for the 2022-2023 season will go through a friendly match against Quevilly-Rouen (L2) on July 15 (5 p.m.), then a tour of Japan from July 16. The first official meeting is scheduled in Tel Aviv for the Champions Trophy, July 31 against Nantes.
With AFP
