Mauricio Pochettino, premiere!
17 and a half years after his departure as a player, the 48-year-old Argentine technician will play his first match as a coach on the PSG bench this Wednesday (9 p.m.), in Saint-Etienne, on behalf of the 18th day of Ligue 1. Back on the first steps of its predecessors since the beginning of the Qatari era of the capital club.
Spoiler: they all won for their grand premiere in Paris.
Thomas Tuchel (2018-Dec 2020)
The first of Thomas Tuchel's 127 matches at the head of PSG took place in Shenzhen (China), against Monaco, as part of the Champions Trophy.
A meeting that the German technician finished… soaked in champagne and with a first trophy in the bag.
Post-World Cup season requires, he had to do without many internationals (Mbappé, Kimpembe, Cavani ...) and leave others on the bench (Neymar, Marquinhos).
That did not prevent the Rouge et Bleu, with several titis at the kickoff (Rimane, Nsoki, Dagba ...), from making short work of the ASM (4-0), also diminished, with a doubled from Angel Di Maria (33rd, 90 + 3) and goals from Christopher Nkunku (39th) and Timothy Weah (67th).
Easy.
Behind, Paris would align five other successes until the first defeat of the Tuchel era, in Liverpool (3-2), the only one until early January.
After 19 matches, Tuchel had a record of 16 wins, two draws and one loss.
And there was Manchester ...
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Unai Emery (2016-18)
New era for PSG in 2016, with the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the arrival of Unai Emery.
Like Tuchel, the Spanish coach began his mandate with a large victory in the Champions Trophy, against OL (4-1), in Klagenfurt (Austria).
Goals from Javier Pastore (9th), Lucas Moura (19th), Hatem Ben Arfa (34th) and Layvin Kurzawa (54th) before an achievement by Corentin Tolisso (87th).
Promising.
But Emery had a choppy start on the Paris bench.
After two victories in L1, already a first setback, against the future champions of France Monegasques (3-1).
And a second at the end of September, in Toulouse (2-0).
We have known since: the players quickly took control and slashed the aspirations of the Iberian technician ... After nine matches, six wins, two draws and two defeats.
The machine then started, and there was the Remontada ...
Laurent Blanc (2013-16)
Without the new recruit Edinson Cavani, but with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Motta, Thiago Silva and all his living forces, Laurent Blanc also started his stint on the Parisian bench with a victory at the Champions Trophy.
Wink of fate, it was against his former team, Bordeaux (2-1).
The Rouge et Bleu had to tear themselves away in Libreville (Gabon), after the opening scoring of Henri Saivet (38th).
It was the incoming Hervin Ongenda who equalized in ... the 81st minute, and Alex who made the decision in the 93rd.
At the time, PSG had just celebrated the first title of champion of France of the Qatari era, the third in the history of the club after 1986 and 1994. We had to wait for the 22nd match under Laurent Blanc to see the Parisians bow for the first time in 2016-17 (17v, 5n, 0d), on the ground of Evian-Thonon-Gaillard (2-1).
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Carlo Ancelotti (Jan. 2012-2013)
As many had seen it coming, Antoine Kombouaré did not spend the winter 2011-12.
In place since 2009, the Kanak coach was fired at the end of the year, replaced by Carlo Ancelotti.
The first match of the Italian Mister?
It was at the Stade du Moustoir, in the Coupe de France, against the Breton amateurs of Locminé, then residents of the fifth division.
The recruits of the winter transfer window (Motta, Maxwell, Alex) were not there yet.
Mamadou Sakho and company had nevertheless composted their ticket for the round of 16 (2-1 victory).
However, it was not easy: after Javier Pastore's opener (53rd), the so-called Gariga Abou Maïga transformed a penalty to equalize (72nd).
It was a header from Diego Lugano (93rd) which allowed Paris to avoid overtime.
Twelve matches, eight wins and four draws to start under the mandate of Carlo Ancelotti, before giving way to Lyon in the Coupe de France (1-3).
The title of champion of France will not be on arrival.
What debut for Pochettino at Espanyol, Southampton and Tottenham?
It was on January 21, 2009 that Mauricio Pochettino's coaching career began on the bench of his last club as a player, Espanyol (Jan. 2009-Nov. 2012).
Not just any match: a Barcelona derby, at home, in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg.
On arrival, a 0-0 draw with the appearance of victory, against a Barça B. Pep Guardiola still turned the return, but a little less.
And the latter won (3-2) with in particular a double from Bojan Krkic, leading 3-0 before playing to scare themselves… Pochettino's first success as a coach?
On February 21, 2009, during his seventh match (4 draws, 2 losses), on the field of… Barça!
Victory 2-1 thanks to a brace from Ivan De La Pena.
This time it was in La Liga.
And Guardiola had taken out the heavy artillery, with for example Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi in front.
In Southampton (Jan. 2013-2014), the Argentine also started with a 0-0, against Everton.
First victory for his fourth match on the bench of the Saints, against Manchester City (3-1).
And in Tottenham (2014-Nov 2019)?
The Pochettino Spurs had aligned four successes in a row, including the first on the field of West Ham (0-1), before losing to Liverpool (0-3).
And with Paris Saint-Germain?
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