Looking at PSG’s Head Coach Options if Christophe Galtier is Replaced
Another early exit in the Champions League could mean a new manager at Paris Saint-Germain.
Paris Saint-Germain’s 2022-23 season has been massively underwhelming and continues the trend set in post-Thomas Tuchel and the UEFA Champions League final of 2020. The French giants were expected to kick on after the German’s departure, but Mauricio Pochettino’s Parc des Princes return failed, and PSG are not even dominant domestically. Christophe Galtier was seen as the solution to those struggles in France after leading Lille OSC to the 2021 Ligue 1 title, but Championnat success in this campaign might not be enough.
PSG’s most recent domestic clean sweep came in the disputed 2019-20 term, which was ended prematurely by COVID-19. In fact, 2017-18 under Unai Emery was the last undisputed domestic haul of the league and all available domestic cup titles. That was five years ago now, and although progress was made on the European scene since then, it was fleeting and is now long gone after back-to-back round of 16 exits.
The general consensus in the French capital is that Galtier would be fortunate to be afforded a second season as PSG boss despite fitting the profile which Les Parisiens are supposedly building on. With constructing a squad largely around youthful and Paris-based talent in mind, here is a look at a few potential candidates to come in should the Frenchman be dismissed.
Zinedine Zidane
Undoubtedly the most prestigious name on the list, both in terms of his achievements as a player and a head coach, the legendary 50-year-old carries significant weight in France as one of the country’s favorite sons. Zidane has proved himself over two different spells as Real Madrid's boss and has three consecutive Champions League titles from 2016-18. However, much of Zidane’s ability to lead PSG closer to that sort of success would likely come at a significant cost which is likely to be problematic this summer, while it would also require some of the more experienced names to stick around. Undoubtedly, the arrival of the most prestigious French coaching name would be greeted positively. However, it is hard to see Zidane fitting with the new direction PSG are supposed to be headed in when you consider the need for a major squad overhaul.
Antonio Conte
The Italian is now on the market after leaving Tottenham Hotspur and is unlikely to take his next job until at least the summer. Conte is known as an impressive man-motivator but requires total buy-in from every single member of his squad, which might be a big ask with this PSG. Spurs go down as a failure on the 53-year-old’s resume, but that will not put some top clubs off come this summer. Arguably the biggest concern will be Conte’s lack of consistent deep runs in the Champions League, which could lead PSG to consider someone less experienced with greater potential upside and possibly pre-existing history with the club.
Julian Nagelsmann
The German is an interesting candidate given that he is very young at 35 yet already boasts significant experience from his spells with RB Leizpig and Bayern Munich. Notably in the Champions League, Nagelsmann’s RBL side was brushed aside 3-0 by former mentor Tuchel’s PSG in the 2020 semifinals. The German tactician’s quarterfinal exit at the hands of Emery’s Villarreal CF was not something to shout about in Bavaria but it was still more respectable than some of PSG’s recent round of 16 upsets. Nagelsmann is the sort of younger profile that might work better with what the Ligue 1 leaders are going for moving forward, but the same questions regarding language from Tuchel’s hire will apply, and Nagelsmann will also be coveted for next season to the point where he might even have a new job come the end of this campaign.
Thiago Motta
Arguably the most interesting profile at this point is that of PSG’s former midfield general, who has been cutting his teeth in Serie A in recent years and is now approaching the level where he could be ready to return to Paris. At 40, he is more experienced than Nagelsmann in playing at the top level, albeit less experienced on the coaching side. Motta, though, knows PSG extremely well from his six years with the club and has had valuable postings with Genoa CFC, Spezia Calcio, and now Bologna FC. Currently in the top half of the table and still, in with a shout of Europe, the Rossoblu’s improved showings have earned Motta admirers at some of Italy’s top clubs. The fact that he knows PSG’s youth setup very well, too, is another big plus, and it could be that now is the time to make a move for Motta before he joins someone bigger, making it harder to bring him back to Parc des Princes.
Zoumana Camara
Probably best considered as an outsider at this stage, the Frenchman remains extremely well respected after his playing career with PSG and has been overseeing the youngsters as Motta did at the start of his coaching adventure. Camara is highly thought of and considered ready for a foray into senior management soon, with the major question being whether his internal respect is enough to convince management to gamble on someone untested. A similar situation saw Motta return home to Italy, and it could be that Camara needs experience elsewhere before being ready to return for the top job. However, as far as interim solutions go, should PSG’s form not pick up under Galtier, the 43-year-old could be given a shot at the senior level until the end of the season. The likes of Will Still with Stade de Reims and Didier Digard with OGC Nice show that this is an increasingly interesting path for French clubs that PSG could use to their advantage to test Camara.