Between Thomas Tuchel and Leonardo, the disagreements are now spreading in broad daylight.
In the words of the first, who criticized sporting policy on Thursday (departures of players at the end of their contract, a stagnant recruitment) out of step, according to him, with the objectives of the PSG, followed Saturday evening a reframing in public from the second .
Sending to oblivion the set spent in Angers (6-1).
A charge followed by a response that directs all eyes to the Leonardo-Tuchel relationship, in the grip of a struggle for influence in recent months.
VIDEO. Tuchel's comments on the PSG transfer window: "The club did not appreciate at all," says Leonardo
Upon his return to PSG, in the summer of 2019, the director was suspected of not being a fan of Tuchel and of watching the first moment to install a coach closer to him.
An ambiguity that the leader recently sought to dispel on Canal +: “When I arrived, I had the choice to continue with him or not.
I decided to continue with him.
"
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The collaboration was initially harmonious.
Thomas Tuchel was very satisfied with the first transfer window of the Leo II era.
"We have a very good group," he said after the signatures of Navas, Icardi, Herrera or Diallo.
Each player is useful to achieve our goals.
There are difficult choices for me to make.
"After a month of January 2020 when PSG had retained their workforce despite Cavani's initial inclinations, Tuchel was still" very confident ".
A radically different tone from that used today.
Tuchel wanted to keep Thiago Silva
The Parisian coach is impatient, a few hours before the end of the market (Monday evening), while PSG has not recruited any player, except the side Alessandro Florenzi and the third goalkeeper Alexandre Letellier, while Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani , Thomas Meunier, Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, Tanguy Kouassi and Adil Aouchiche packed their bags.
Icardi was acquired definitively, but he was already in the workforce… and Thomas Tuchel is less of a fan, as his use in Final 8 illustrates.
The German, on the other hand, was fiercely determined to retain his captain Thiago Silva.
While the cause was heard, including in the mind of the defender, the coach multiplied the statements.
Leonardo ended up offering the defender a last-minute contract, too late and without necessarily a huge conviction.
In this transfer window, Tuchel has often repeated that he needs a large squad, basing his demonstration on the game won against Real Madrid with several substitutes.
Leonardo, he has to deal with very strict financial constraints and has not managed to remove players to give themselves additional margins.
As the former midfielder seeks to push Julian Draxler to a start, the manager lines him up regularly, reassuring the midfielder that he was fine in Paris.
A situation similar to that which opposed Tuchel to Antero Henrique
In the last days of this slow moving transfer window, the oppositions between Leonardo also crystallize in the strategy to be carried out.
Thomas Tuchel opened the door for the arrival of a central defender to use Marquinhos in midfield, in a role he adores him.
Antonio Rüdiger's profile would appeal to him, while Leonardo repeats to his interlocutors that he wants a defensive midfielder to use the captain in defense.
And while contacts are nourished with Tiémoué Bakayoko, the latter has not spoken with Thomas Tuchel, who seems less excited.
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In terms of the attack, the German is not very satisfied either.
He would have liked to continue with Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, but it was out of the question for Leonardo to go beyond a year of contract.
And while the club strongly believes in Arnaud Kalimuendo (18), he is not part of the manager's plans for this year and could leave on loan (Brest is notably in the ranks).
The situation today seems close to that which opposed the coach to Antero Henrique, finally dismissed in the summer of 2019. Thomas Tuchel, at the end of his contract at the end of the season, knows that he is playing big and does not hear to do it with less weapons.
He can count on the support of his flagship players, who are also asking for recruits.
Among the manager's interlocutors, some doubt that Tuchel is very tempted to extend his contract under current conditions.
Leonardo recently postponed discussions for a new lease: "He still has ten months of contract, we have time".
A status quo which accentuates a little more the feeling of paths which move inexorably further away.
