Lhe slap suffered against Real Madrid in the Champions League last spring has led to profound changes within Paris Saint-Germain. Players, staff, leaders: no one was spared. Mauricio Pochettino was dismissed at the end of the season, as was Leonardo, whose second term as sporting director did not live up to expectations. To replace this duo, a new shock tandem has taken place in the capital: Christophe Galtier on the bench and Luis Campos behind the scenes. Should we believe in this new PSG, full of promises and strong intentions?
Messi and Neymar finally concerned?
On the pitch, the show of force against FC Nantes (4-0) during the Trophée des Champions was a great appetizer. Even Lionel Messi and Neymar, with random motivation last season, did the necessary pressing on this meeting. “When you have a partner who makes an effort, obviously it’s contagious, it makes the person next to you want to make the same effort”, analyzed Galtier after this first success. With the World Cup in sight, the Argentinian and the Brazilian know that they must continue to arrive in form in Qatar. If we add to this the extension of Kylian Mbappé, PSG have on paper a formidable attacking trio. It remains to prove it (finally) over time.
Tactically, the former coach of Lille and Nice, recognized for his unremovable 4-4-2 in Ligue 1, has decided to start with a new scheme. The three-man defense was thus tested, with in particular Sergio Ramos holder. Long injured last season, the Spanish international has a card to play in this new cycle, if his body is spared. The 3-4-3 animation observed against Nantes was encouraging, with in particular the activity of the two midfielders, Vitinha and Verratti. And to top it off, we have two fairly high lane players (Nuno Mendes and Hakimi) and the attacking trio in front. With these assets, PSG can be dangerous in all sectors.
“The workforce will still move”
To renew its workforce after the recent European disappointments, the club, under the impetus of Luis Campos, has decided to change its policy: no more XXL recruitments and overpaid players, but rather profiles for the future and complement for the current team. The arrivals of Vitinha (Porto), Ekitike (Reims) and Renato Sanches (Lille) have already been formalized, but PSG does not intend to stop there, as Christophe Galtier clarified. “The workforce will still move. There will be departures, arrivals, but we cannot end up with 28, 29 or 30 outfield players for training sessions. There would be too many players on the side. We made this decision with the management and Luis Campos to reduce the group to have more qualities and more concentration. »
This is what risks blocking this PSG: a plethoric workforce with many players reluctant to leave, because of a comfort of life and especially of fabulous salaries. Jumble: Julian Draxler, Layvin Kurzawa, Mauro Icardi, Ander Herrera or even Rafinha… The Parisian loft is still well stocked less than a month from the closing of the transfer window, and all the goodwill of Luis Campos will probably not be enough not to degrease. This does not prevent the capital club from continuing its recruitment: Christophe Galtier has confided that he is still waiting for “three recruits” by the end of August. Among the targeted profiles: a central defender, a rather defensive midfielder and a pivot attacker.
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If the big maneuvers are far from over on the side of the Parc des Princes, the hopes of this summer will soon come up against the only justice of the peace that counts at PSG: the Champions League. After a decade of failures and regrets, the Parisian staff has made the Cup with the big ears an obsession. With his limited experience on the continental scene, Christophe Galtier does not have the best profile on paper to go all the way. But in a club where nothing ever goes as planned, where the irrational often comes into play, predictions can be quickly thwarted.
