Mauricio Pochettino has refuted claims that Kylian Mbappe had any influence over the decision to replace him as Paris Saint-Germain boss this summer.
Mbappe opted to sign a three-year contract extension with the Ligue 1 champions earlier this summer, with reports claiming that the striker would hold great sway in the club’s sporting decisions as part of the agreement to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes.
That coincided with Pochettino’s exit from the club, as the former Tottenham boss was replaced by Christophe Galtier. The Argentine led PSG to the Coupe de France during his first half-season in the 2020/21 and followed that up by winning the first league title of his managerial career last season, but it was not enough to make up for the team's European failure – as they exited in the Round of 16 against Real Madrid after tossing away a 2-0 aggregate lead.
The Argentine coach was booed by large sections of the PSG crowd when his name was read out ahead of kick-off at a Ligue 1 clash. It followed the supporter's major protest at a Ligue 1 clash against Rennes in which they blasted the 'overpaid mercenaries' on their books and attacked the board with Pochettino not escaping their ire – showcasing the uneasy relationship.
Yet Pochettino has now rejected suggestions that Mbappe played a part in the decision to replace him with Galtier – who spent last season at Nice – or that to replace sporting director Leonardo with Luis Campos.
Pochettino told an interview with Infobae, when asked about a possible link: “What I think is that PSG has done everything possible to retain Kylian and I also agree with that. He is one of the best players in world football today and I think that PSG, having all the resources to do it, have convinced him to stay.
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“But I don't think Kylian is the one who designed the new project either. Those who rule, in this case the president, are those who would have thought that the most convenient thing was a new project in the club.”
Pochettino went on to outline how it was his pleasure to coach Mbappe, alongside the likes of star attacking players Lionel Messi and Neymar. “For me it has been a pleasure,” he added. “We always talk about it with the entire coaching staff. It has been an incredible possibility to be able to have so many names, so many figures in a dressing room, sharing moments. That has been one of the most positive things, that of having been able to meet them and compete under those circumstances.”
Pochettino was appointed as PSG boss in January 2021, replacing the dismissed Thomas Tuchel, and within two weeks had won the first trophy of his coaching career – guiding his side to the Trophée des Champions by defeating Marseille. Despite defeating Monaco in the Coupe de France final, PSG were surprisingly beaten to the Ligue 1 title by huge outsiders Lille.
The Argentine coach had mixed fortunes in the Champions League – securing impressive aggregate victories over Barcelona and Bayern Munich before falling to Manchester City at the semi-final stage. However, a summer which saw Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Georginio Wijnaldum heading the arrivals at the club raised expectations – and the club’s Champions League Round of 16 collapse against Madrid was definitive in how their 2021/22 campaign would be assessed.
