PSG confirm Mauricio Pochettino's departure; sparks 'Mbappe effect' meme fest

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have confirmed the departure of manager Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine coach was appointed in the French capital in January 2021, replacing Thomas Tuchel in the dugout, and won 55 of his 84 games in charge.

"Paris Saint-Germain confirm that Mauricio Pochettino has ended his role at the Club. The Club would like to thank Mauricio Pochettino and his staff for their work and wish them the best for the future," the Ligue 1 champions wrote in an official tweet.

In his first season in command, Pochettino did not succeed in winning Ligue 1, but he did win the Coupe de France.

After winning the league championship in 2021–2022, a first in the former Tottenham manager's managerial career, the PSG hierarchy's hopes for European success were finally dashed by elimination at the hand of Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

Pochettino and his staff will earn 10 million euros in compensation, according to L'Équipe. Christophe Galtier, a former manager of Nice, is anticipated to be named as his replacement.

Also read: Zidane won't be new PSG manager, says Al-Khelaifi; Real Madrid fans have the last laugh

A meme fest exploded on Twitter following an official announcement, with several football fans noting Pochettino's sacking is a result of Kylian Mbappe's 'effect'. Here's a look at some of the memes and reactions:

Last month, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of Paris Saint-Germain, confirmed that Zinedine Zidane would not be the club's new manager. Speaking to Le Parisian, Al-Khelaifi insisted that the club had never been in talks with Zidane and had 'chosen another option'. 

"Zinedine Zidane? I'll tell you one thing: we never spoke with him, neither directly nor indirectly. Many clubs are interested in him, national teams too, but we have never discussed with him," the PSG president said.

"We have chosen another option than Zidane. We've chosen a coach who will be the best for what we want to put in place. The fans disappointed to have Galtier and not Zidane? The dream is one thing, the reality another. Dreaming big is good but today, we must above all be realistic, we no longer want flashy, bling-bling, it's the end of glitter. We want reality," Al-Khelaifi added.