Luis Enrique Appointed Head Coach of Paris St-Germain
Paris St-Germain have appointed former Spain and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique as their new head coach. The 53-year-old Spaniard replaces Christophe Galtier, who was sacked despite winning the Ligue 1 title in his one season in charge. Luis Enrique has signed a two-year contract with the French champions.
Luis Enrique’s Last Job in Club Management
Luis Enrique’s last job in club management was at Barcelona, where he won nine trophies in three seasons between 2014 and 2017, including the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey Treble in his first campaign in charge. He then replaced Fernando Hierro as Spain manager in 2018 and led his country to the final of the Nations League and the semi-finals of the European Championships in 2021, before quitting after their Qatar World Cup exit.
PSG Squad in Transition
Luis Enrique takes over a PSG squad in transition. Question marks remain over the futures of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar following Lionel Messi’s departure to Inter Miami. The club’s Qatari owners are intent on trying to build a team rather than continuing the policy of signing high-profile players, which has so far failed to deliver the Champions League success they crave.
Christophe Galtier’s Time at PSG
Early signs had been promising under Galtier after he replaced Mauricio Pochettino last summer. PSG started last season strongly with a 22-game unbeaten streak, but lost nine times in all competitions after the resumption of club football following the 2022 World Cup. A 2-1 loss to Marseille in the last 16 of the French Cup in February was quickly followed by defeat against Bayern Munich at the same stage of the Champions League. And PSG’s league form also waned as they limped to the Ligue 1 title, finishing just one point above runners-up Lens.
Galtier also came under increasing pressure off the pitch after being accused in April of making racist remarks during his time in charge at previous club Nice – allegations that he has denied – and will go on trial in December as a result of an investigation. PSG said: “The entire Paris St-Germain team would like to thank Christophe Galtier, as well as his assistants Thierry Oleksiak and Joao Sacramento, for their professionalism and commitment throughout the season.”
Luis Enrique’s Vision for PSG
Luis Enrique will now look to bring his own brand of football to the French capital and build a team capable of challenging for the Champions League title. He is known for his attacking style of play and will be looking to get the best out of Neymar and Mbappe, who have both been linked with moves away from PSG this summer.
He will also be looking to bring through some of the club’s younger players, such as Adil Aouchiche and Kays Ruiz-Atil, who have both impressed in recent months.
Conclusion
The appointment of Luis Enrique is an exciting one for PSG fans and it will be interesting to see how he fares in his first job since leaving Spain. With a talented squad at his disposal, he will be looking to make an immediate impact and deliver the Champions League success that the club’s owners crave.