PSG has appointed Spanish tactician Luis Enrique as their new coach for the 2023–24 season. Enrique was elated to be appointed, this is what he said: "I'm delighted to join Paris to enjoy an exciting experience," Luis Enrique said in a club statement.
"It's so exciting to meet new people, to live in this city, to learn another language, and, above all, to manage PSG." The newly appointedcoach, Luis Enrique Martinez Garcia, is the eighth man to lead the club since a Qatari takeover in2011. Like those before him, he will be charged with bringing them Champions League success, which has so far proved elusive.
PSG have never won Europe's most prestigious club competition, losing in the final to Bayern Munich in 2020. They have been out of the last 16 in five of the last seven seasons, losing to the German team at that stage of the campaign just finished. That defeat proved costly for Galtier.
Luis Enrique arrives with Champions League pedigree,winning it as Barcelona coach in2015. A brilliant team led by Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez beat Juventus in the final.
He now joins a club beginning their latest rebuild following Messi's departure at the end of his two-year stay. There are doubts surrounding superstar forward Kylian Mbappe's future after he told the club he would not renew a contract that expires next year.
Several high-profile new signings are expected to be confirmed as the club prepares to start pre-season training in the coming days, with a tour to Japan scheduled for later this month. Luis Enrique ended a three-year stay at Barca in 2017 to become the Spain coach in 2018. However, he quit in June 2019 and announced the death of his nine-year-old daughter from bone cancer two months later.
He returned to the Spain post in November of that year, replacing Robert Moreno. He took La Roja to the Euro 2020 semi-finals and the 2021 UEFA Nations League final before being fired after their elimination from last year's World Cup in the last 16 in a penalty shootout against Morocco. Galtier had only been in charge for one season and still had a year left on his contract.
However, his departure had been expected since the end of the last Ligue 1 season a month ago.
"Paris Saint-Germain and Christophe Galtier have decided to terminate his contract as first team coach," the club said in a statement. "Everyone at Paris Saint-Germain thanks Christophe Galtier, as well as his assistants Thierry Oleksiak and Joao Sacramento, for their professionalism and commitment over the season, and wishes them the most success in their future careers."
Galtier led PSG to its record-breaking 11th title. However, that success was also overshadowed by their disappointing exit from the Champions League and a French Cup last-16 loss to Marseille.
The final weeks of Galtier's reign were also marred by accusations that he made racist remarks about players during his previous job at Nice.
He has vehemently denied the accusations but will stand trial in December on charges of "moral harassment and discrimination on the grounds of actual or supposed membership or non-membership of a particular ethnic group, nation, alleged race, or religion", according to prosecutors in Nice. The offenses are punishable by three years' imprisonment and a 45,000-euro ($49,000) fine.
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