Mauricio Pochettino is set to learn his fate this week as Paris Saint-Germain chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi makes a final decision on his future.
Sporting director Leonardo was sacked on the final day of the season, although his departure has still not been publicly confirmed. And the vacancy created by the Brazilian’s exit has paved the way for the arrival of Luis Campos.
It is widely expected that Pochettino will follow Leonardo out of the door but the fact he still hasn’t been told either way suggests talks are ongoing with potential replacements. Former Tottenham boss Pochettino has had a rollercoaster time in charge of PSG since joining them in January 2021 as Thomas Tuchel’s replacement but has still enjoyed success at the club.
He led PSG to the Ligue 1 title this season — they won their division quicker than any other team in the top five leagues in Europe — and his side were unbeaten at home in the league and Champions League.
The Argentinian is only the second manager of the Qatari Sports Investment era at PSG to get the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Speculation surrounding Pochettino's future will not be helped by new reports from The Telegraph suggesting Jose Mourinho could be in line to succeed the Argentine for the second time in his career. It was the self-proclaimed 'special one' who replaced Pochettino when he was dismissed from his post at Tottenham in late-2019.
Mourinho's time in North London ultimately ended in failure, though the timing of his sacking sparked confusion given he was relieved of his duties just six days before the Carabao Cup final given the Portuguese manager's record in finals.
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His prowess was on full display just recently with current side AS Roma, as Mourinho helped guide the Italian outfit to the first ever Europa Conference League triumph. Roma held on for a 1-0 win over Feyenoord in the final.
PSG are likely to have taken notice of Mourinho's latest piece of European silverware given their desperation to lift the Champions League. While the Conference League is the lowest ranked of all of his European honours, Mourinho was just as delighted to win it.
"It made me feel like, maybe, I never felt," the 59-year-old added. "It was our Champions League." Mourinho also explained how his time in Rome has helped him become a calmer person - something which could put him in good stead for the potential stresses of Paris.
“I became much less ego-centric, becoming a person who lives much more for others than for myself,” Mourinho told postgraduate students at a press conference on High Performance Football Coaching at Lisbon University.
Having already won the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga - a move to PSG would see Mourinho look to conquer French football for the first time.
