Pochettino slams PSG as ‘the most ungrateful club’

LONDON – Mauricio Pochettino has called Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ‘the most ungrateful club’ after being sacked as their manager in July.

The former Tottenham and Espanyol manager led PSG for 18 months and won a French Cup and Ligue 1 title, but was sacked after failing to secure a European trophy for the club.

He was replaced by Christophe Galtier for the 2022-23 season, and is yet to take a new job in management.

Speaking to Radio Marca, Pochettino made it clear he felt undervalued in his time as PSG boss.

When asked if they were the most ungrateful club, the manager said: ‘‘Totally agree. Everyone underestimates the work of the coach. When we won it was due to individual talent and if we lost it was the coach’s fault.’’

The 50-year-old’s side included a plethora of world-class talents including Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria.

He went on to discuss the difficulties he faced juggling the egos and talents brought together in Paris.

Pochettino added: ‘‘A team club model was created. It was a very difficult challenge to complete that model, with many unknowns. All those personalities, with that talent, in a team has only happened in Paris.

‘‘The model needed time. Players who came from the Copa América, from the Euros, injuries, a new city, culture... we found ourselves with nine or 10 players who were captains of their teams.’’

The Argentinian manager has spoken before about struggling to manage so many world-class players in one team. He told Relevo: ‘‘For Barça to have Messi or for Madrid to have Cristiano is a blessing. But when you bring in too many players who all need their spot and be No 1,