Next Paris Saint-Germain manager – the contenders
While Ligue 1 success was rarely in doubt, another disappointment in Europe means Paris Saint-Germain are set to appoint a new manager in the summer to replace Christophe Galtier.
PSG were knocked out of the Champions League Bayern Munich in the round of 16, having only made it past the quarter finals on two occasions in the 12 years since Qatar Sports Investment took control.
It’s the prize the owners still desire and there are a number of coaches with experience of getting over the line in the Champions League. Here are the potential candidates to replace Galtier as Parc des Princes.
Zinedine Zidane must enjoy being linked with every big club when a new manager is required. Having been out of the game since the end of the 2020/21 season, many think the legendary Real Madrid player and coach will make his return for the 2023/24 campaign.
One major plus on his CV as far as PSG are concerned is his three Champions League wins in a row with Los Blancos, managing a number of global superstars and getting the best out of his squad on the biggest stage.
Beyond being out of the game for a couple of seasons, there is a lot to suggest Zidane would be the most logical pick. QSI have tried to bring him to Paris as coach twice before but Real Madrid’s interest and his desire to coach France has stood in the way.
This is another option with a lot of logic to it. Luis Enrique has won the Champions League once before when he was the Barcelona coach, but he has been out of club management since 2019. He was in charge of the Spanish national team until the end of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, but that’s not necessarily a reason to write him off.
Enrique has shown in the past he can coach at the highest level, although at Barça he was in a very familiar environment having spent time at Camp Nou as a player before becoming manager.
PSG would be a massive test for Enrique but he is certainly one of the best unattached options out there.
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Antonio Conte is looking for a new job this summer, having blown up Tottenham’s season by walking out after a 3-3 draw against Southampton with a classic press conference meltdown.
While obviously a volatile appointment, Conte could bring the basic effort levels and discipline PSG have been lacking for many years.
That being said, their appointment process will be so heavily led by Champions League record and Conte has never managed to go beyond the quarter finals, not at Juventus, Chelsea, Inter or Tottenham.
That has to be a mark against him but it does not necessarily rule him out of the discussion entirely. He would be a different sort of coach to those who came before in the sense he is already a highly established name who has lost his way somewhat.
Jose Mourinho looks to have rediscovered his mojo with Roma, even if they were beaten by Sevilla in the Europa League final.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss only has one year left on his contract at Stadio Olimpico and may find it hard to turn down Champions League football in France if offered the job.
His comments about staying at Roma after that Sevilla defeat were ambiguous and the chance to build a squad in his own image at PSG where Kylian Mbappe already rules the roost could be tempting enough for Mourinho to leave Italy.