PSG Must Move On Regardless of How The Christophe Galtier Controversy Plays Out
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PSG Must Move On Regardless of How The Christophe Galtier Controversy Plays Out
Ligue 1 title could be in the balance if Galtier becomes a distraction.
Paris Saint-Germain’s logical 3-1 win over RC Lens in Ligue 1 on Saturday should have ended any lingering talk of a title race in Le Championnat. Les Parisiens were not the best team against the Northerners, but they made their one-man advantage count over nine first-half minutes after Salis Abdul Samed was sent off.
Coupled with a 2-0 win away at OGC Nice the week before, PSG came away from their two toughest remaining tests with all six points. The French champions are eight points clear with seven remaining games almost exclusively against teams in the bottom half of the topflight.
Only a monumental collapse stands between PSG and a historic 11th French crown and their third successful title defense in the past five seasons. It may feel like a minimalist achievement, and fans of the capital club should know better than to rule out a total collapse at this stage, but it still feels unlikely.
That said, the situation surrounding PSG’s head coach Christophe Galtier could factor in this title run-in, with the French tactician set to stay in his role until at least this summer. Galtier is embroiled in a public scandal stemming from his time as Nice boss, which is already threatening his reputation as arguably France’s leading domestic-based coach.
All eyes are on Les Aiglons and not just for their UEFA Europa Conference League exploits, as the acrimony between disgraced former sporting director Julien Fournier and Galtier has gone nuclear. Although PSG are publicly standing by their man as he pursues legal action after last week’s explosive revelations, surely confirmation of an 11th Ligue 1 title cannot come quickly enough.
Like everybody following the story, we hope for the truth to come out above all, regardless of the potential consequences, but PSG are at the mercy of events largely out of their control. There is a separate debate regarding how much the Parisien hierarchy knew or did not know about the circumstances of Galtier’s Allianz Riviera exit.
However, as PSG stated, since last midweek, when this story surfaced spectacularly in the French soccer landscape, these events went down during his time with Nice. Yet this development could be a significant factor in these final seven Ligue 1 matches if Galtier continues to be under the microscope to the point where results suffer, and PSG gets reeled in.
Lens should be far enough adrift of the capital outfit to be unable to catch up, while the same is also true of Olympique de Marseille for the most part. A few unexpected dropped points here and there, though, and suddenly the gap could be whittled down once more.
At this moment, the Galtier controversy could have become more than a distraction, and there could be more pressure on PSG than expected to part ways with their coach. Surely, based on results in recent months, this will happen come summer anyway, with Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos potentially leaving Parc des Princes as well.
Any further developments in this scandal, though, might leave the Ligue 1 leaders with no choice other than to expedite Galtier’s dismissal and action for his replacement. This developing story should not change much as far as the Frenchman and PSG’s time together is concerned.
Despite a positive start earlier this season, the team has not progressed nearly enough under Galtier over the second part of the campaign. Regardless of the current circumstances, the situation between the coach and his players has mirrored that of parts of Mauricio Pochettino’s ill-fated tenure in Paris.
Strong decisions need to be made this summer, and perhaps radical ones in certain cases, with a new head coach now arguably the most pressing issue regarding building for the future. If it is not with Galtier, it suddenly impacts many other questions, such as Messi’s future beyond this term.
Thiago Motta is a strong candidate to replace Galtier, which would not only be a move towards a much younger boss, but also one with prior knowledge of the club, how it works, and the academy, given that he oversaw the youth team post-playing career. With that in mind, the Brazil-born former Italy international could probably not only survive in the atmosphere but perhaps even thrive.
Galtier and Luis Campos between them looked as if they might have finally made profound changes behind the scenes at the start of the season. However, that illusion was shattered post-FIFA 2022 World Cup when it illustrated the tunnel vision many players had going into the tournament.
Motta learned how to love PSG and the French capital as a player and also played for some of the biggest names in the managerial game, including Carlo Ancelotti, who was his first boss in Paris when he was signed back in 2012 by Leonardo in his first spell as sporting director. Bringing him back now as a young head coach on the up could be a smart move.
Kylian Mbappé and Motta only played together for one season from 2017-18, but Messi will recall their days together at Barcelona while captain Marquinhos and ex-partner in crime Marco Verratti in midfield will remember him fondly as a key part of the Laurent Blanc era. Crucially, those familiarities should lead to a global level of respect in the locker room, which has not been present for some time.
Sadly for Galtier, it remains absent for him and was never truly there for Pochettino either, with Thomas Tuchel arguably the last to have mastered PSG’s complicated inner politics well enough to get the team close to potential success. Motta could be a first step in the right direction regardless of what happens next with the embattled Galtier.