PSG appoint Mauricio Pochettino as new head coach

Paris Saint-Germain have officially appointed Mauricio Pochettino as new head coach on an initial 18-month deal to replace Thomas Tuchel in the managerial hotseat at Parc des Princes.

Pochettino had been out of work since being sacked by Tottenham in November 2019, just six months after guiding the club to its first ever Champions League final, and was long seen as the best available coach anywhere in world football.

It marks a return to Paris exactly 20 years after he joined PSG as a player in January 2001, making 95 appearances for the club by the time of his departure to Bordeaux in the summer of 2003.

“I am extremely happy and honoured to become the new coach of Paris Saint-Germain,"  Pochettino said, via the club's official website.

"I thank the leaders of the Club for the confidence they place in me. As you know, this club has always kept a special place in my heart. I have wonderful memories of it, especially of the unique atmosphere of the Parc des Princes.

"I come back to the Club today with a lot of ambition and humility, while also being very eager to work with some of the most talented players in the world. This team has fantastic potential and I will do everything with my staff to optimise the results of Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions.

"We will also do our utmost to give our team that combative and offensive playing identity that Parisian supporters have always loved. "

With longstanding domestic dominance in Ligue 1, Pochettino - whose PSG deal runs until summer 2022 with an option to extend by a further year - is the latest in a long line of coaches tasked with conquering Europe and winning the Champions League.

Tuchel got the closest by taking PSG to last season’s Champions League final, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich to cap off the unique mini-tournament in Lisbon. Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc and Unai Emery have also tried and failed to deliver continental glory since the Qatari takeover in 2011.

PSG won their Champions League group earlier this season and have been drawn against Barcelona in the last 16, a first meeting since the 6-5 aggregate score-line at the same stage in 2016/17.

Pochettino has already been linked with a raid on his former club, with a potential approach for veteran Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. The 34-year-old, who is out of contract in 2022, was France’s World Cup winning captain and hasn’t played club football in his homeland since 2012.

Dele Alli is another Spurs player who has been linked with PSG, with interest from the reigning French champions first rumoured last summer. Dele made his name under Pochettino a Spurs and it has become increasingly clear in recent months that he needs a move to resurrect his career.

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