PSG to sack manager Mauricio Pochettino; Zinedine Zidane in fray as replacement

Zinedine Zidane is close to replacing Mauricio Pochettino as Paris Saint-Germain boss, as the Frenchman has reportedly travelled to Qatar to sign a contract.

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According to Mundo Deportivo’s Ramon Fuentes, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has lined up to replace Zinedine Zidane. Pochettino joined the Paris club back in January 2021 after the firing of Thomas Tuchel. Pochettino couldn’t turn around PSG’s Ligue 1 campaign as the club finished second. In the champions league, PSG lost in the semi-finals to Manchester City. Following a summer window where PSG signed Messi, Ramos, Donnoruma, and Hakimi, many expected the club to finally win the UEFA Champions League (UCL). However, it collapsed in the round of 16 to eventual winner Real Madrid, which scored three second-half goals in the second leg after PSG was up 2-0 in the tie. Zidane would join the club with a lot of UCL pedigree as he managed to lead his Real Madrid to three successive UCL titles between 2016 and 2018.

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Despite rumours and reports, Pochettino has downplayed the situation. He told Esport3: “I have another year left on my contract, and there are many rumours. I’ve been sacked every week [as per rumours]. Being at PSG brings with it that kind of thing. The club is trying to reinvent itself. The president [Nasser Al-Khelaifi] will soon explain his new project, but I am calm.”

“To get to PSG, you have to be a good manager, and after one and a half years, I feel like one of the best. Managing a dressing room with that many stars has been a daily learning experience. We were close to knocking out Real Madrid, as Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool was,” added Pochettino.

“I think we were far better, but we lacked that final touch. If the objective is to win the Champions League, it makes sense that that kind of turmoil would occur. The unrest started after the defeat to Real Madrid. We won the league, as other managers did like [Laurent] Blanc and [Carlo] Ancelotti,” Pochettino continued.

“I like Manchester City because they gave Pep Guardiola the chance to build. They gave him time. It would be best if you had that at PSG too. By giving some serenity to the project, we’ll be close to winning the Champions League,” concluded Pochettino.