Paris, July 6 (BNA): Paris Saint-Germain announced the appointment of Christophe Galtier as its new coach, shortly after the French Ligue 1 champions split from Mauricio Pochettino.
Galtier joins Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year contract after leaving Nice last month, having led them to second place in the French Cup and fifth in the Ligue 1 last season, Reuters reported.
The 55-year-old Frenchman joined Nice in 2021 after leading Lille to their first Ligue 1 title since 2011 the previous season. Prior to joining Lille, Galtier spent eight seasons at Saint-Étienne, winning the French Cup in 2012-2013.
“When you are here (at the Parc des Princes) you feel the expectations,” said Galtier, who is the first French coach for PSG since Laurent Blanc in 2013-16.
“I appreciate the responsibility I take so that PSG can have a great season. I’ve been preparing for that. If I accept his job, it’s because I can. But we have to do it together.”
At Paris Saint-Germain, Galtier will team up with Luis Campos, the club’s newly appointed football advisor, as the duo worked together at Lille.
Galtier’s appointment comes after PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi put an end to speculation surrounding France’s superstar Zinedine Zidane, rejecting reports that PSG had held talks with the 1998 World Cup winner over him taking over as their new president.
“We never spoke with Zidane. I love the player and the coach, but we never spoke to him,” Al-Khelaifi told a news conference on Tuesday. “Christophe Galtier was always our first choice.”
Pochettino, appointed by Paris Saint-Germain in January 2021, won the French Ligue 1 title in 2021-22 and the French Cup in 2020-21 but failed to achieve the Champions League, the only trophy that has eluded PSG since Qatar took over sports investment . More in 2011.
Paris Saint-Germain, the league winner eight times since the acquisition, was the runner-up for the Champions League in 2020, but was knocked out in the last 16 last season by the league champions, Real Madrid.
Pochettino came up with a strong resume after making Tottenham Hotspur one of the top four in the Premier League and leading them to the Champions League final in 2019.
Despite having a star-studded squad at his disposal at PSG, led by Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi, Pochettino failed to win the other domestic titles on offer, lifting the league title only last season.
Pochettino leaves Paris Saint-Germain after 84 official matches, after winning 55, drawing 15 and losing 14.