Paris Saint-Germain 'decide to sack Christophe Galtier'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 03 June 2023

Paris Saint-Germain reportedly decide to sack head coach Christophe Galtier less than a year after hiring the 56-year-old to replace Mauricio Pochettino.

Paris Saint-Germain will part ways with head coach Christophe Galtier at the end of the season, according to a report.

The 56-year-old took over from Mauricio Pochettino at the Parc des Princes last summer and steered the capital club to their 11th Ligue 1 title in the 2022-23 season.

A 1-1 draw with Strasbourg last weekend saw PSG retain their crown with a game to spare, while they also thumped Nantes in the Trophee des Champions during Galtier's first game in charge last year.

However, the Parisiens suffered another chastening early exit in the Champions League, falling to Bayern Munich 3-0 on aggregate in the last 16, where they have been eliminated in five of the last seven seasons.

Galtier also oversaw a 2-1 defeat to Marseille in the same stage of the Coupe de France, and a spate of home defeats since the turn of the year allowed both Les Olympiens and Lens to threaten PSG's position at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Christophe Galtier on March 19, 2023 © Reuters

Les Parisiens ultimately fended off the two clubs to secure back-to-back top-flight crowns, and Galtier's contract at the Parc des Princes is due to run for another season.

However, in the wake of another disappointing run in the Champions League, L'Equipe claims that PSG have decided to sack Galtier, whose final game in charge will come on Saturday against Clermont.

The report states that the Emir of Qatar and PSG's owner, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has approved the decision, and the club will soon announce Galtier's departure after just one season.

The former Lille and Saint-Etienne boss boasts a record of 34 wins, six draws and nine defeats from his 49 matches in charge of PSG, who have accumulated 85 points from their 37 top-flight games this term.

Galtier's on-field successes have been overshadowed by allegations of racism from his time at Nice, though, as a leaked email sent by former Aiglons sporting director Julien Fournier detailed serious accusations against the PSG boss.

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier on August 28, 2022 © Reuters

Galtier allegedly told Fournier that he was unhappy with the number of black and Muslim players in the Nice squad, while also taking issue with members of his squad fasting during Ramadan.

The accusations were sent by Fournier to a director at Nice's owners Ineos, but Galtier strenuously denied the allegations, and no action has been taken against the Frenchman.

PSG are still believed to be dreaming of hiring Zinedine Zidane as their new head coach, while Jose Mourinho has also been strongly linked with the role, but former Spain and Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is currently thought to be the frontrunner.

As well as Galtier, PSG will lose both Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos on free transfers this summer, with the latter confirming on Friday evening that he would depart at the end of his contract this month.