Christophe Galtier, in all likelihood, will not be Paris Saint-Germain coach next year. It was all-but confirmed this week, when a number of sources suggested that Galtier had already been let go, and an official announcement was imminent.
He has, like every man that takes a job at Parc des Princes, been burdened with high expectations. And, like many before him, he has, quite simply, not met them. Although PSG won Ligue 1, they did so by just one point, and were knocked out of the Champions League by a Bayern Munich side in turmoil.
So, for the third time in as many seasons, PSG find themselves on a new manager hunt this summer. And they supposedly have a front runner. Reports have emerged that former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann is the preferred option, with the German set to appoint France legend Thierry Henry as his assistant. However, with Nagelsmann’s recent track record of not getting jobs at the eleventh hour, there is reason for caution.
At this point, the Parisians have tried everything. They have employed six different coaches in 12 years, each of a slightly different ilk. But all of them come into the club with some degree of European pedigree.
It is not a new concept to want an established manager; you’d hope that PSG go for one. But now more than ever, they need to make the right appointment.
This could be a real summer of change in Paris, after all. Lionel Messi has left the club, Neymar has flirted with an exit for some time, while Kylian Mbappe could bolt in 2024 — unless he can be convinced otherwise.
The next campaign, then, has to be a strong one – if only to show that PSG can achieve something in their new era.
So, who could be responsible for leading the club into the post-Messi world? With former favourite Thomas Tuchel now at Bayern Munich, GOAL takes a look at leading contenders below…