Report: PSG part with Pochettino after 18 months

Paris Saint-Germain have severed ties with manager Mauricio Pochettino amid links to former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane and Nice’s Christophe Galtier.

The Ligue 1 champions and Pochettino reached a mutual agreement to end their partnership after 18 months, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.

Pochettino and club officials held a meeting to review the 2021-22 season, and the two sides concluded that it was best to go in a different direction following a campaign that saw PSG recapture the league title but fail once again in their quest for Champions League glory.

PSG hired the 50-year-old Argentine manager almost two years after Tottenham Hotspur dismissed him. He led Les Parisiens to Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles but oversaw another premature Champions League exit last season after a summer of adding superstars such as Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Georginio Wijnaldum to boost their chances in Europe.

Pochettino’s future in Paris was considered uncertain following Kylian Mbappe’s contract extension. Reports emerged that PSG were looking to move on from him and Leonardo, who the organization chose to replace with Luis Campos as its football advisor.

PSG will now focus their efforts on hiring a successor for Pochettino, whose contract was set to expire in 2023. Ornstein reports that the club has added Nice’s Galtier to the mix of candidates.

However, it’s understood that French icon Zidane is among the favorites and is being lined up to take the job in Paris. According to a report Friday, there is an agreement in principle between PSG and the 49-year-old former sideline boss, who guided Real Madrid to three Champions League titles while in charge.