Mauricio Pochettino is set to take over from Thomas Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain and return to management since his Tottenham Hotspur sacking in 2019.
The Argentinian played for PSG between 2001 and 2003, making 70 appearances, and has been regularly linked with a return to manage his former club.
As for Tuchel, being fired on your birthday is difficult enough – just ask Trevor Francis – but suffering the same fate on Christmas Eve is arguably even worse.
One wonders what the German made of it as PSG’s hierarchy made their decision following an interview where the 47-year-old claimed he felt more like ‘a sports politician than a coach’ during his maiden campaign in Paris but later insisted the comment was meant as a joke.
It may seem a surprise to see the former Dortmund manager depart given last year’s Champions League finalists are through to the knockout stages and they are only a point off Lille and Lyon at the top in Ligue 1 after a 4-0 win over Strasbourg at the weekend.
Tuchel’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season and he possibly could have left in the summer if he had not guided PSG to their first ever Champions League final.
Since arriving in June 2018, the German claimed two league titles, the French Cup and French League Cup.
The move logically makes sense with Ligue 1 having a winter break meaning PSG will not play again until January 6 and the Champions League does not resume until February.
Delve deeper though and you will see that PSG have lost four of their 17 matches so far and have struggled against their title rivals, earning just one point from games against Lille, Lyon and Marseille.
In matches that look like easy victories on paper, they have struggled in reality and have faced at least 16 shots in their last three consecutive league home games (18 v Bordeaux and 16 v Rennes and Dijon) for the first time since 2006/07.
In European competition, not helped by the lack of pre-season after reaching the final, they made hard work of their group, only confirming qualification on the final day having earlier lost at home to Manchester United and at RB Leipzig.
For a side that have won seven of the last eight Ligue 1 titles, the most appealing aspect for the Qatari owners is success in Europe’s top competition. Last season’s run to the final may have convinced them that the club can finally make a consistent impact in the latter stages but felt Tuchel fell short in this aspect.
Pochettino brings a glowing reputation from his time in England with Southampton and Spurs on style more than substance as he is yet to win a trophy.
The Argentine drew the plaudits by transforming Spurs into a regular top-four side – with a couple of third-place finishes either side of a runners-up spot in 2017 – and led the club to their first Champions League final in 2019.
Expectations at PSG will differ from those at his previous jobs with the demand to win the league and, more importantly, the Champions League will crank up the pressure in Paris. A trophy is the one missing component to accompany his CV and it would silence his doubters who claim he does not deserve the reputation he has achieved. With the financial power and star-studded first team to work with, this looks like a good platform for Pochettino to break his duck.
Notable Results
Lyon 3-0 Nantes – Rudi Garcia’s end the year top of the table after Toko-Ekambi, Kadewere and Paqueta goals seal comfortable win.
Montpellier 2-3 Lille – Burak Yilmaz scores late winner but visitors fall to second on goal difference.
Angers 2-1 Marseille – Away side suffer disappointing defeat to leave them adrift of their title rivals, albeit with two games in hand
Nimes 1-3 Dijon – Three late goals lift Dijon off the bottom and within two points of safety.
