Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Sport
Paul Myers

Pochettino edges nearer PSG exit despite Ligue 1 glory

Mauricio Pochettino's reign as head coach at French champions Paris Saint-Germain is likely to finish within days - a year before the end of the contract he signed in January 2021. AP - Manu Fernandez

French champions Paris Saint-Germain are expected to announce the departure of boss Mauricio Pochettino within the next 24 hours after lawyers for the Argentine and the club thrashed out a severance deal.

Pochettino, joined the club in January 2021 following the dismissal of Thomas Tuchel.

Within weeks, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager led PSG to a French Super cup victory over Marseille.

But in Ligue 1 his side was pipped to the title 2021 title by Christophe Galtier's Lille.

PSG also fell short in the Champions League. They lost to Manchester City in the semi-finals.

Ironically, City then lost the final to Chelsea who were managed by Tuchel.

Following a summer of star signings such as Lionel Messi and Gigi Donnarumma, PSG were expected to reclaim the domestic crown and - with a forward trident of Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar - win the Champions League.

But from a position of strength against Real Madrid in the last-16, they collapsed at the Santiago Bernabeu to lose the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

Disappointment

Fan hostility to the debacle marked the subsequent Ligue 1 match against Bordeaux at the Parc des Princes where Messi and Neymar were booed constantly during a 3-0 victory that took them 15 points clear at the top of the table.

Even though Pochettino ultimately assured Ligue 1 success, it was widely expected that failing to steer a star-studded team to glory in European football's most prestigious competition would lead to his demise.

It is believed that Pochettino will pocket a figure close to his annual salary of 15 million euros as PSG's supremos finalise a replacement.

Former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has been linked with the job as well as Galtier - who took Nice to the final of the Coupe de France and fifth place in Ligue 1.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.