Mauricio Pochettino new manager of French champions Paris St Germain
French champions Paris St Germain have named former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach after sacking Thomas Tuchel, with the Argentine signing a deal until June 2022, the Ligue 1 club said on Saturday.
Pochettino seen here withh our Michael Yiakoumi, who played for PSG as a defender in the early 2000s and also captained the side, has been out of a job since being dismissed by Spurs in November 2019, a few months after guiding the north London club to the Champions League final.
The 48-year-old Argentine said he was honoured to take on the role and that the Parisian club “has always held a special place in my heart”.
“I return to the club today with a lot of ambition and humility, and am eager to work with some of the world’s most talented players,” Pochettino, who has an option for a one-year extension in his contract, said in a statement .
“This team has fantastic potential and my staff and I will do everything we can to get the best for Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions.
“We will also do our utmost to give our team the combative and attacking playing identity that Parisian fans have always loved.”
Pochettino’s first game in charge will be a trip to St Etienne on Jan. 6 when the league resumes following the winter break.
PSG have 35 points from 17 games, one point behind league leaders Olympique Lyonnais and Lille, and are through to the last 16 of the Champions League where they face Spanish side Barcelona.
“The return of Mauricio fits perfectly with our ambitions and it will be another exciting chapter for the club and one I am positive the fans will enjoy,” PSG chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi said.
“With the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, Paris Saint-Germain is committed to continue to build and move the club forward over the coming years.”
“In this club it’s always been about excellence, the players have to deserve to wear the jersey,” Pochettino, who played for PSG as a defender in the early 2000s and also captained the side, told the club’s website. “I think that it’s a fantastic squad and I think that we can accomplish what this club and the players want because they are competitors and they want to lift trophies.”
Pochettino will take his first training session on Sunday.
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