PSG fire coach Thomas Tuchel
Paris, Dec 24 (efe-epa).- Paris Saint-Germain sacked German coach Thomas Tuchel on Thursday, with Argentinean Mauricio Pochettino being widely tipped to take over.
Pochettino, who has been out of work since being dismissed by Tottenham Hotspur in November 2019, played for PSG between 2001 and 2003.
Tuchel, who joined the French club in June 2018, won two league titles, the French Cup and French League Cup during his stint in Paris.
He also led PSG to its first Champions League final in 2020, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
The sacking follows a comfortable 4-0 victory against Strasbourg on Wednesday night, which leaves the team third in the table, one point behind leaders Lyon.
It has been an underwhelming domestic campaign so far for the team that has won seven of the last eight Ligue 1 titles.
The German’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season, but his departure from the club has been brought forward by the Qatari owners, who appear to have run out of patience with the divisive coach.
This week, Tuchel gave an interview with German television in which he appeared to criticise the club’s ownership, and said that he felt at times during his first season more like “a sports politician or sports minister than a coach”. He also implied that PSG did not behave like a big club.
The coach has brought domestic success, but has failed to bring the European glory so coveted by the club’s Qatari owners.
His relationship with the club has been deteriorating throughout the season, especially with the sports director, Brazilian Leonardo.
