Pochettino is already history at PSG, sacked just hours before the Parisian side presented Christophe Galtier as their new coach. After weeks of intense negotiations to agree on the Argentine’s settlement and many others to unblock the Frenchman’s departure from Nice, he becomes the seventh tenant of the Qatar-era bench at the club. The Champions League, like all his previous colleagues, will be his great demand.
Galtier has spoken of “demand, respect, hard work and commitment” to make PSG a solid team. In his first appearance, he assured that he felt prepared for the complicated challenge of directing a locker room full of media players, and he assessed that his good professional relationship with Luis Campos was important to finish in Paris. These were the first reactions of him in introducing him.
Wardrobe management: “These are players who want to win and be successful. I haven’t spoken to them yet, but it’s a huge privilege to be able to manage a world-class team. I know the responsibility I have. I have not come to be a revolutionary or to change everything, but we have to go in the same direction. We have to have a common project. Whoever is not willing will have to leave.”
Neymar: “His quality is beyond doubt. Who wouldn’t want to train him? I have a clear idea of what I expect of him. When he sees him this afternoon we will talk, I want to see what expectations he has of him. I want him at PSG.”
Mbappe: “As a coach I am very happy that he decided to stay. He is good for PSG and for the league. In any case we cannot transfer all the responsibility to him. All the great individuals have to put themselves at the service of the collective. But I insist, you don’t have to put more pressure on him than he already has”.
The dilemma between Keylor Navas and Donnarumma: “I’ll see them shortly, but I can’t make any headway yet. Normally in my career I have had a number one and a number two. Working this way is easier and better managed”.
Louis Fields: “We have worked together for three years at Lille, and we have a frequent dialogue. Before coming we have talked a lot, of course. Also with Al Khelaifi. Luis Campos will take care of the signings but no one will come without my consent. He knows the players and their surroundings better than anyone, but we won’t make any important decisions without consulting each other”.
What kind of trainer is he? “I am a demanding guy. I want my footballers to be happy, but through hard work and effort. We can’t have such a long template anyway. We have to reduce it because if there are unhappy players, that has a negative impact on the group”.
Being from Marseille is not a problem: “I was born there, it is a fact. But I am passionate about my work, I want to win and train the best. And there is no better place to do it than at PSG.”