Many have dreamed of Zinédine Zidane on the PSG bench.
The reality is called Christophe Galtier.
At 55, the triple best Ligue 1 coach (tied in 2013, then 2019 and 2021) has officially signed up for two seasons, plus another optional one, for the capital club.
He succeeds Mauricio Pochettino, landed after a year and a half in office, and becomes the first French coach in Paris since Laurent Blanc (2013-16).
“
The dream is one thing, the reality another.
Maybe we should also change our slogan... "Dream Bigger" (dream bigger), that's good but today, we must above all be realistic, we no longer want flashy, bling-bling, it's the end of the glitter
", said a few days ago Nasser Al-Khelaïfi,
.
The president of the 2022 French champions had also taken the opportunity to swear “
never to have spoken
” to “ZZ”, yet free since his departure from Real Madrid in 2021. “
We chose another option, a coach who will be the better for what we want to put in place
,” he added.
To discover
LIVE – The transfer window: the crazy rumor Ronaldo at Barça is gaining momentum
Read alsoPSG: Galtier, profession leader of men
A trainer, Galtier, known for his grip, his human management, his qualities as a tactician and communicator.
It remains to be seen whether the native of Marseille, honest player then assistant coach for ten years before taking the reins of Saint-Etienne (2009-17), Lille (2017-21) and Nice (2021-22), will have enough support. on the part of the Parisian management to implement its ideas.
Listening to “
NAK
”, one can think so.
Above all, Galtier does not arrive alone: he comes in duo with a certain Luis Campos, previously appointed PSG football advisor and who succeeded Leonardo, ex-sports director.
The two men have already worked hand in hand in Lille, with the title of champion of France 2021 in high point.
lion's den
For once in Paris, the boss of the athlete and the coach will be on the same wavelength.
Which makes our colleagues from Le
Parisien
say that Galtier will enjoy an "
authority that none of his predecessors will have known before him.
".
And this, despite a meager CV (Coupe de la Ligue 2013 and L1 2021), minimal experience as a coach in the Champions League (6 matches with Lille in 2021, 5 draws and 1 defeat) and no precedent to the leading a group of this quality, with beasts such as Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and other Neymar Jr to manage, to tame.
A lion's den which will now be the daily life of Christophe Galtier, ostensibly pushed towards the exit in Nice, where Lucien Favre took his place, but dubbed in Paris, where he will concretely begin his mission on Monday, when training resumes .
First official game?
August 31 in Tel Aviv: it will be the Champions Trophy against Nantes, the team that beat “its” Aiglons in the Coupe de France final last spring.
"
I am not one of those coaches who ask for guarantees.
The objectives just have to be in line with the means
, ”he said in 2021. At Paris-SG, objectives and means are consistent.
Of course, expectations too...