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Pochettino, who played for PSG as a defender and was also a team captain, has been out of work since he was fired by Spurs in November 2019.
French soccer champion Paris Saint-Germain announced the hiring of coach Mauricio Pochettino to replace the recently fired Thomas Tuchel.
Pochettino, who led Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League final in 2019, signed a contract to coach PSG until June 2022 with an option for one more year, the club said.
The 48-year-old Argentine, Pochettino, inherits a talented but underperforming team by PSG standards. Start the new year in third place behind Lyon and Lille. His first match in charge will be on Wednesday in Saint-Etienne.
“I return to the club today with great ambition and humility and I am looking forward to working with some of the most talented players in the world,” Pochettino said in a statement Saturday.
“This team has fantastic potential and my staff and I will do everything possible to achieve the best for Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions,” said Pochettino. “We will also do our best to give our team the identity of combative and offensive play that Parisian fans have always loved.”
Pochettino played 95 games for PSG as a robust central defender from 2001 to 2003 and was appreciated by fans.
“I have wonderful memories, especially of the unique atmosphere of the Parc des Princes,” said the former PSG captain.
Tottenham fired Pochettino in November 2019, just a few months after the final Champions League appearance, where Spurs lost 2-0 to Liverpool.
Similarly, Tuchel was fired four months after leading PSG to the Champions League final, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
“The return of Mauritius fits perfectly with our ambitions and will be another exciting chapter for the club and I am sure the fans will enjoy it,” said PSG President Nasser al-Khelaifi.
“With the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, Paris Saint-Germain is committed to continuing to build and advance the club in the years to come,” he added.
PSG finished 2020 just one point away from the top of the league in third place after beating Strasbourg 4-0 on December 23, but Tuchel was questioned after the game about comments he made to German broadcaster SPORT1.
The German manager reportedly claimed that managing PSG was more like being a politician or a sports minister, such was the level of difficulty, and that he did not receive sufficient recognition for leading the club to its first League final. of Champions.
PSG has struggled at times this season with four league losses. They fell short against their main rivals, losing 1-0 at home to Lyon and Marseille, and drawing 0-0 in Lille. They also lost two of the first three Champions League games but ended up advancing to the knockout phase by leading the group.
The start of the season was delayed after several players, including Neymar and captain Marquinhos, tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from a club-sanctioned trip to the Spanish resort of Ibiza.
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