Thomas Tuchel sacked by PSG as Pochettino prepares to replace him

Paul Macdonald

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 2 min read

Thomas Tuchel has been relieved of his duties by Paris Saint-Germain just a day before Christmas.

The German coach endured a tumultuous two-and-a-half years in charge of the capital club and on many occasions he only seemed one match away from being replaced.

But taking the team to the Champions League final at the end of last season earned him a reprieve into this season, where things haven’t gone to plan. Tuchel has had to ensure numerous controversial incidents, such as the on-pitch brawl with Marseille, the racism row in the Champions League against Basaksehir, and the fact that Lyon sit top of Ligue 1 at this point of the campaign.

Tuchel has also been chided for a recent interview he provided to a German TV station where he referenced he felt more like a politician than a coach, and reports suggest this may have contributed to his demise.

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He was forced to clarify his comments after the 4-0 win on Strasbourg on Wednesday, saying to Canal+:

“I didn’t say it’s more about politics than sport, nor that I lost the fun of training. This is not true. It is possible they translated incorrectly.

“Watch the video interview. I just said that PSG are unique and that it’s a big challenge for me. It’s always been like that. I like this challenge and nothing has changed.”

But his remarks have not been received well and so the coaching merry-go-round among Europe’s top clubs could be set to begin.

Mauricio Pochettino at PSG

Mauricio Pochettino moving to PSG seems like the most logical move and the French giants are likely to make swift moves. The Argentine played over 70 times at Parc des Princes and give he has been out of football for 18 months will jump at the chance at being rehired.

Poch has been linked with every major job since leaving Tottenham in 2019 but nothing transpired, and this oportunity to work with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe would be too much for him to turn down.