While PSG still fail in their continental quest, three of their former coaches find themselves in the quarter-finals this season. The same ones who had reached a European final the year following their departure.
What if the qualifiers of Chelsea and Villarreal on Wednesday night reassured Mauricio Pochettino about his future? By consolidating their lead in Lille for one (Chelsea) and giving a lesson in realism to Juventus for the other (Villarreal), the two teams have completed the quarter-finals where three former PSG coaches will be present, namely almost half of the coaches in this “Final 8”. Mauricio Pochettino’s two predecessors, Unai Emery (Villarreal) and Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea), joined Carlo Ancelotti, the club’s executioner in the capital last week.
So, happy coincidence or Parisian curse? If we must not hide that the PSG of Pochettino had reached the semi-finals last year (elimination against Manchester City), the parallel with the situation of failure of the Argentinian at the head of the Parisian club is inevitable in view of the success of his two predecessors at the head of Kylian Mbappé and company. And while the position of the former Tottenham coach is more shaky than ever, the brilliant European results of the former PSG coaches could be such as to look at his future with optimism, he who had reached the C1 final… year preceding his arrival in Paris (2019).
Read alsoChampions League: Tuchel, Ancelotti, Emery in the quarter-finals, does PSG’s problem really come from its coaches?
Tuchel and Emery European champions in 2021
Especially since Tuchel and Emery are quite simply… reigning European champions. Unceremoniously fired on Christmas Eve at the end of 2020, “Herr” Tuchel created a sensation by reshaping a Chelsea team that was less dashing on paper but led to a second continental trophy on May 29, 2021 against Manchester City (1-0). At the head of a team made up of far fewer strong individuals than in Paris, where “he was more a Minister of Sports than a coach because he had to manage the families and friends of the stars“, could we read at the end of October in Sportsweek the supplément de la Gazzetta dello Sport.
For his part, Unai Emery very quickly revived after three seasons in Paris (2016-2018) when he arrived on the Arsenal bench. He will stay there for barely a year and a half, the time nevertheless to lead the Gunners to the Europa League final (lost to Chelsea, 1-4). A C3 of which he has posed as the undisputed master since he won it for his first season with Villarreal last May (against Manchester United), adding a fourth line after his hat-trick with Sevilla (2014, 2015, 2016). For the first time qualified in the quarterfinals of C1, he now dreams bigger. “I love the Europa League, yes, but I also want to enjoy the Champions League a bit“confided the Spaniard after the victory in Turin on Wednesday evening (0-3).
An immediate success which is reminiscent of that of Carlo Ancelotti. Landed after two seasons in 2013, the “Mister” will also reach a European final the year following his Parisian adventure, winning a third Champions League with Real (2014). Eight years before breaking the Parisian dream once again, thanks to Madrid’s comeback last Wednesday (0-1, 3-1).