PSG sack coach Galtier
According to ESPN, sporting director Luis Campos personally informed Galtier of this decision on June 6, and the club will announce the change of coach this week. The owners of the Parc des Princes approved the decision to change the general less than three days after the PSG defeat to Clermont 2-3 in the final round of Ligue 1 on June 3.
Previously, Le Parisien newspaper published similar information, and revealed that Qatari owners assessed Galtier's season as unsuccessful. Under the French coach, PSG lost to Bayern in the 1/8 Champions League round and soon stopped in the 1/8 round of the French National Cup. In Ligue 1, despite winning the title, the Parisian club struggled, losing seven matches and just one point above the runner-up Lens.
Besides professional problems, Galtier also cannot manage a dressing room with many strong personalities. Rumors of cracks in the dressing room and question marks regarding the futures of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar or Lionel Messi have affected PSG throughout the season.
Galtier was also entangled in racist noise from his time leading Nice in the 2021-2022 period. According to Romain Molina, a French sports investigative journalist, Nice's sporting director Julien Fournier from August 2019 to June 2022 accused Galtier of complaining about the club having too many black players and follow Islam.
Galtier's chair has been shaken violently since the defeat to Bayern in the Champions League. Last month, the 56-year-old coach emphasized that he deserves to continue to lead PSG in the 2023-2024 season, when his contract expires. But he is only at the position until the end of this season.
According to ESPN, PSG have negotiated with former Spain and Barca coach Luis Enrique, but Julian Nagelsmann is the leading candidate to replace Galtier this summer. Qatar owners believe that the German coach can build a strong team, the ideal person to open a new chapter and use the talented young players.
In parallel with the signing of Nagelsmann, PSG also considers the possibility of appointing the legendary Thierry Henry to the coaching staff. The Qatari owners see the former French striker as the ideal assistant for Nagelsmann and appreciate Henry's experience when he held a similar role under Roberto Martinez in the Belgian national team.
Former PSG player Thiago Motta, who made a splash when leading Bologna to ninth in Serie A this season, and former River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo are other names highly appreciated by the PSG leadership.
PSG confirmed to part ways with Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos on a free basis when the transfer window opens. The Paris club is also ready to sell Neymar if it receives a suitable offer. In the opposite direction, they are about to recruit striker Marco Asensio on a free form and midfielder Manuel Ugarte from Sporting for a fee of about $ 65 million.