Never mind the Coupe de France or Ligue 1. Since the arrival of Qatari investors at Paris Saint-Germain in 2011, nothing matters more than the Champions League. At the heart of the project, several coaches have been carefully chosen to achieve this dream. Some have come close to it, others have only seen it in a photo. But all share one thing in common, that of having shone in the competition after their stay in the capital.
After the knockout stages of the Champions League, Wednesday March 17, there will finally be three former PSG coaches to take part in the quarters. A snub, one more, against their former employer.
Thomas Tuchel, the earliest
When he arrived in Paris at the start of the 2018-2019 season, the club did not have words strong enough to describe its new coach, then little known to the general public.
“With the Baravois in charge, the club of the capital has bet on an outstanding tactician. It’s done: a strategist invests Paris” enthuses the club in a press release. A grotesque elimination in the eighth Champions League final the same year against Manchester United and a lost final against Bayern in a final oven open to all dreams later, it is finally with Chelsea that Tuchel makes his reputation of “strategist” and of “outstanding tactician”.
Dismissed on the eve of Christmas 2020, the German quickly bounced back across the Channel, in London. In four months – and alongside Thiago Silva, another banned from PSG – he qualified his new club in the final of the Cup with the big ears before winning the trophy so coveted by his former club.
Tuesday against another Ligue 1 resident, the Blues validated their ticket for the quarter-finals.
Carlo Ancelotti, the most consistent
Nothing like a great coach to build a great club. At the end of 2011, the President, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, decides to separate from Antoine Kombouaré, to appoint Carlo Ancelotti at the helm of his pharaonic project. The CV of the Italian is already very well stocked: two Champions League, titles in Italy and England. In short, he is the ideal candidate to quickly propel Paris to the roof of Europe.
Arrived during the exercise, Ancelotti cannot avoid the elimination of his team in the Europa League for his first season. From the second, on the other hand, the Parisian leaders are pleased with their investment. After eliminating Valencia in the round of 16 (1-2, 1-1) he mister is on course to bring down the great Barca in the next round. Without losing (1-1, 2-2) the PSG of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham is nevertheless eliminated thanks to the away goal rule. A huge disappointment but great promises for the future. It will finally be nothing since Ancelotti leaves the club at the end of the season. And, from the next, he lifts the trophy on the bench of Real Madrid. Last week, it was under these same colors that he donned the executioner’s costume, eliminating his former club after an unlikely return match.
Unai Emery, the most European
In 2017, it is a man who has won three European cups who arrives at PSG. Three Europa League certainly, but three European trophies all the same. Like others before him, Emery marked the history of the club from his first season. Unfortunately, this is the reassembled suffered against Barcelona which goes into the history books. In addition, the same year, the French championship also escaped him, in favor of Monaco.
For his second season, the Spaniard fell on a bone in the round of 16. Against Real Madrid (1-2, 1-3), its players are outclassed by a team en route to its thirteenth Champions League title. After two unsuccessful attempts, the Basque is thanked and goes to the side of Arsenal. Successor of local legend, Arsène Wenger, Emery struggles to impose his ideas and obtain results despite a final in the Europa League, his competition. Back in Spain the following season, he raised his fourth C3 with Villareal.
A great specialist in C3, it is in C1 that he shines this season after eliminating Juventus on Wednesday March 16.