PSG have a new project: this has been the watchword since the extension of the contract of French superstar Kylian Mbappé.
This slogan is followed by effects since the great maneuvers are launched.
The club announced on Friday June 10 the arrival of the Portuguese Luis Campos as "sports adviser".
An arrival which could be followed by another: that of the legend Zinedine Zidane on the bench, according to several French media including Europe 1.
No official announcement has been made to confirm the departure of sporting director Leonardo;
Mauricio Pochettino is still officially the coach of Paris SG.
But behind the scenes, things are happening.
@PSG_inside is pleased to announce the arrival of Luis Campos as Football Advisor as of today.
❤️💙
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) June 10, 2022
Friday, the hypothesis of the imminent arrival of Zinedine Zidane, the child of Marseille who won on the bench of Real Madrid four Champions Leagues - one as assistant, three as coach -, regained strength.
Very affirmative, Europe 1 evokes an "agreement in principle (...) for Zinedine Zidane to be the next coach".
According to RMC, the two parties "are close to an agreement" even if "discussions should continue for several more days before a definitive signature of the French coach".
Asked by AFP, Zidane's entourage did not respond.
Paris SG refused to confirm or deny the information.
A source close to the club's management, however, relativized to AFP the information that such an agreement had been acquired.
49-year-old Zinedine Zidane left Real Madrid in 2021. He has since been free of any commitment, even if he is regularly presented as the natural successor to Didier Deschamps at the head of the France team if he decided to leave after the World Cup.
Last season, Paris SG won the eighth French championship title in the Qatari era.
But eliminated in the round of 16 by Real Madrid, he still failed in his quest for the Champions League, the club's main objective.
Luis Campos, a "football adviser"
Designated "football adviser", the Portuguese Luis Campos will be the architect of the club's new project, built around Kylian Mbappé, who announced in May that he was staying at the club despite the assiduous courtship of Real Madrid.
The arrival of Campos, a close friend of the superstar striker he met in Monaco, promises brilliant moments in the transfer window – the Portuguese showed it in Monaco and Lille – and bloodshed behind the scenes.
Aged 57, he is a strong character with recognized competence.
He will not only have to reshuffle the workforce, but above all define a more coherent policy than Leonardo, dismissed on the evening of Mbappé's extension.
If Pochettino officially remains the coach of the Parisians, his departure seems logical.
Since his arrival as a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, the Argentinian has not convinced in a season and a half.
And his remaining year of contract should not represent a financial obstacle.
Zinedine Zidane, free, has the ideal pedigree to succeed him.
He was in Paris, at the same time as the Emir of Qatar, for the C1 final.
A presence that has fueled all the speculation.
In addition to Zidane, other names are mentioned, in particular that of the coach of Nice, Christophe Galtier, who worked three years in Lille with Campos.
The Portuguese had solidly built the northern team crowned champion of France in 2021, a year after his departure.
A workforce to be slimmed down and strengthened
After the coach, will come the time of the players.
The midfield is a weakness identified for several years at PSG, which cannot find a partner for Marco Verratti in midfield.
According to RMC, Paul Pogba, also coveted by Juventus, "waits for the formalization of Zidane's arrival at PSG to start discussions with the Parisian club".
With the departure of Angel Di Maria, Paris should also look for a winger.
The name of Ousmane Dembélé, free of any contract at the end of June in Barcelona, often comes up in the press.
Campos will also have to slim down a bloated workforce – a point where Leonardo failed, despite poor financial results for PSG, which recorded 225 million euros in losses for the 2020-2021 financial year.
In the hot seat, Mauro Icardi and Leandro Paredes have indicated their intention to stay in a club where salaries are high.
It will also be necessary to manage the egos.
"The best player in the world is Kylian Mbappé", launched Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, seeming to demote Lionel Messi and Neymar in the hierarchy of the locker room.
Another subject: the clarification of the situation of goalkeepers Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma, who want to stay while being number 1 next season – which would imply the departure of one of them.
With AFP
The summary of the
France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 app
google-play-badge_EN