Pochettino is a Paris match
PARIS SaintGermain have swooped to make Mauricio Pochettino their manager after the French champions sacked Thomas Tuchel on Christmas Eve.
Pochettino has been in talks with PSG and is set to make his return to football following his sac king by Tottenham in November 2019. The former Argentina centre-half played for them between 2001 and 2003 — long before the Qataris turned them into a star-studded force in world football.
Trophies eluded Pochettino at Spurs but he will be expected to end that drought by inheriting players such as Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria.
PSG are desperate to win the Champions League and last year’s finalists face Barcelona in the round of 16 in February. Having won the French title in seven of the last eight seasons, they are currently third in Ligue 1, a point behind Lyon and Lille as they enter a twoweek winter break. Massimiliano Allegri had also been considered but Poch et tinoi st he clear frontrunner. Manchester United have long been linked with hiring him, should they decide to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but that window of opportunity seems set to slam shut. Tuchel, 47, is understood to have been dismissed the day after PSG beat Strasbourg 4-0. Bizarrely, they have yet to announce the German’s exit but his availability will put several top clubs on alert, including Arsenal whose boss Mikel Arteta is under pressure. Tuchel’s trophy haul at PSG was vast and included two league titles, the French Cup and French League Cup since his arrival in 2018. They reached the Champions League final for the first time last season, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich. However, he has overseen a rocky start to this season — including four defeats in 17 league games — and was said to have fallen out with sporting director Leonardo over recruitment. He also caused a stir in an interview last week when he said he felt more like ‘a sports politician’ than ‘a coach’ during his first season at the club. Tuchel disputed the translation of that quote and claimed it had been taken out of context. But it appears to have been the final straw. His contract was set to expire at the end of t his season. PSG have also been linked with a loan move for Spurs’ Dele Alli in January.