[ad_1]
Paris Saint-Germain have sacked head coach Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino due to return to management with his former club.
Just four months after leading the French team to the Champions League final – ultimately at Bayern Munich – the German was dismissed from his post at the Parc des Princes.
As Bild first reported, Tuchel, 47, is leaving Parc des Princes after two and a half years at the helm.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss had won six trophies with the Parisians, including consecutive crowns in Ligue 1.
But Wednesday night’s 4-0 victory over Strasbourg was the end of the road, as PSG were third in the French league, one point off first place.
Before the match, Tuchel had given an interview in his native country in which he was quoted as saying that he had sometimes felt more like “a sports politician or a sports minister than a coach” during his tenure.
(Image: REUTERS)
After the victory over Strasbourg, he tried to clarify these remarks to Canal +.
“I didn’t say it was more about politics than sport, nor that I had lost the pleasure of training. This is not true … It is possible that they translate poorly.
“Watch the video interview. I just said that PSG are unique and that it’s a big challenge for me. It’s always been like that.”
“I love this challenge and nothing has changed.”
(Image: REUTERS)
Asked a second time about the remark, he added: “I gave a video interview to a reporter who told me to do a story about German coaches.
“This is not an interview for him. It is not allowed. I was making a joke in German. The translation is not correct. We cannot translate word for word.
“It was a joke while we were talking and it’s not allowed.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Tuchel’s stay in the French capital has not been without incident – especially in the fights between him and former sporting director Antero Henrique, as well as current incumbent Leonardo.
In October, Tuchel publicly attacked the Brazilian because of the exits of Edinson Cavani, Thomas Meunier and club captain Thiago Silva, as well as promising young couple Tanguy Kouassi and Adil Aouchiche, all gone for nothing.
It is understood that Tuchel wanted to keep club captain Silva, who impressed at Chelsea, but the decision to exit – described as ‘awkward’ by the player himself – was taken by Leonardo.
Tuchel urged the club to strengthen themselves, leaving Leonardo himself to retaliate publicly: “I didn’t like Coach Tuchel’s statement. I don’t understand it and I didn’t like it. The club didn’t. not liked.
“If someone is not happy, we can talk, there is no problem. But if he decides to stay, he must decide to respect the choices of the sports management.”
After that, his last interview in his home country seems to have finally been the last straw for the club’s sporting director and Qatari owners.
So despite the club’s position in the French league – where they remain favorites – and after winning their Champions League group – they will meet Barcelona in the last 16 – Tuchel was shown leaving, brutally, on Christmas Eve , while he was informed of his fate in the hours following the victory over Strasbourg.
The former Tottenham manager Pochettino, sidelined since leaving Spurs 13 months ago, looks set to return to PSG, where the Argentine spent two years as a player.
President Nasser Al-Khelaifi is a big fan of the former Spurs chief.
In November, Pochettino discussed his willingness to return to management, telling football on Monday night: “I’m always ready to come back and be in the game.”
And in 2016, he confessed: “One day, I would like to train PSG. It’s one of my dreams. It’s a club that I follow a lot. “
On social media, Gary Lineker commented: “Mauricio Pochettino is aligned by PSG. A great coach whose only downside is the lack of trophies … well, that’s about to change.”
Is Mauricio Pochettino the right person for PSG? Give your opinion here.
* Sign up for the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip
[ad_2]
Source link
