And so the soap opera at Paris Saint-Germain continues to offer lots of froth. Mauricio Pochettino, the man who led the side to the 2022 Ligue 1 title and two other trophies, has been deemed unfit for purpose. And Christophe Galtier, who steered Lille to the 2021 French crown, has been anointed as a possible replacement.
A strange choice if it is ultimately confirmed. Pochettino boasts the credentials. His Tottenham Hotspur side, which reached the 2019 Champions League final, was among the big hitters of the English Premier League during his five and a half year reign in north London.
Admittedly Galtier was impressive during that triumphant run with Lille in the 2020/21 season.
His side – made up of ageing warhorses such as Burak Yilmaz and José Fonte as well as thrusting young bucks like striker Jonathan David and goalkeeper Mike Maignan – were in the places leading to the Champions League within a month and went top in October 2020 following a 4-0 thrashing of northern rivals Lens.
PSG dislodged them for six weeks before Lille enjoyed another three week stint at the top in what was shaping up to be a juicy race with Rudi Garcia's Lyon also in the running along with Monaco.
Galtier's men recovered the lead from PSG following a 1-0 win at the Parc des Princes in April 2021 and held their nerve to claim the club's sixth top flight title.
Following the 2-1 victory at Angers to seal the championship, Galtier told French broadcaster Canal Plus: "To beat PSG in Ligue 1 is exceptional. Mum, I am sending you love. Dad, who is up there, this is for you … F*** this is incredible."
The Frenchman then hailed Lille's sporting director Luis Campos as the architect of the side.
"I can’t tell you how much I love this squad," Galtier added. "I love them so deeply.”
But that was in the first flush of title fever. A couple of mornings after the delights before, Galtier was fluttering his eyelids at a Nice number.
His adventure on the riviera could soon be over though. Campos has turned up at PSG as a sporting advisor.
And it is understood the 57-year-old Portuguese wants Galtier at PSG to oversee the journey to Champions League glory while also assuring the Ligue 1 silverware.
Le @PSG_inside est heureux d'annoncer l'arrivée de Luis Campos en tant que Conseiller Football à compter de ce jour. ❤️💙
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) June 10, 2022
Zidane option
Zinedine Zidane would be a far shinier prize for the money men pulling the PSG strings.
The 49-year-old former France skipper took Real Madrid to an unprecedented hat trick of Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018. There were also two La Liga crowns and two Club World Cups.
Fans would certainly welcome that kind of heft especially since Galtier's year at Nice ended in defeat in the final of the Coupe de France and fifth place in Ligue 1.
Zidane, with the more glittering playing and coaching chops, is understood to be targeting the job of France coach that is likely to become available after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But the PSG brand would be boosted with his arrival. Joyous publicity campaigns around images of Zidane, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé would be unleashed on the world.
Imagine the EEG readings from the minds in the PSG marketing department. Probably enough activity to supply the French national grid for a year.
Zidane could provide the regal smoothness and nous to extract the last vestiges of excellence from Messi, reboot Neymar as a relevant force and assist the irresistible rise of Mbappé who extended his contract at PSG until 2025 despite lucrative overtures from Real Madrid.
Mbappé, 23, said he wanted to stay in Paris and be at the forefront of history at his hometown club.
What better way to write epic tales around a local lad than with a homegrown coach. Christophe, Zinedine ... the pen awaits.
