Arteta, Conte and the 10-man shortlist to be next PSG manager

Carlo Garganese

15 Mar 2022 05:30 CDT
3 min read

Such is modern football that a team who are 15 points clear at the top of their league in the middle of March may still sack their coach at the end of the season.

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That is the situation at PSG right now for Mauricio Pochettino.

The club is engulfed in a sporting crisis following the shocking Champions League collapse to Real Madrid last week.

PSG appeared to be coasting into the quarter-finals of the competition they are so desperate to win as they led Madrid 2-0 on aggregate with just half-an-hour of the tie to go.

But the Parisians – for the umpteenth time in recent years – capitulated. They conceded three goals by Karim Benzema in 17 minutes to exit 3-2 on aggregate.

This has led to widespread calls for a managerial revolution at the club – both in the boardroom and in the dugout.

Pochettino is very much at risk of being sacked and, according to L’Equipe, PSG have drawn up a nine-man shortlist of possible coaches for next season.

Who will succeed Pochettino at PSG?

PSG have drawn up a 10-man shortlist to replace Pochettino, according to L’Equipe.

The favourite for the role is Zinedine Zidane, who is currently out of work but may also be waiting to succeed Didier Deschamps as France coach after the World Cup.

© ProShots - Zinedine Zidane is the favoured choice of PSG

There are two Premier League names on the list in the form of Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Tottenham’s Antonio Conte. Arteta is a former PSG player but seems committed to the Gunners, whereas Conte is not entirely happy at Spurs despite promising to see out his contract until 2023.

From Italy there is Juventus’ Max Allegri, Inter’s Simone Inzaghi and Spezia’s Thiago Motta. The latter is another ex-PSG player and would jump at the chance of a return to Paris. Allegri has a contract in Turin until 2025 and is rebuilding a team in transition, while Inzaghi has never hidden his desire of coaching abroad.

Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone is also on the shortlist as PSG consider bringing in a manager who will make them tougher and less likely to capitulate like they did at Madrid.