France’s soccer champion Paris St. Germain and coach Christophe Galtier are now officially going their separate ways. Exactly one year after the commitment, PSG announced the departure of the 56-year-old, whose contract was still valid for one year.
In the afternoon, Paris presented the former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique as his successor.
In a statement, PSG thanked Galtier for his “professionalism and commitment” in guiding the club to their eleventh league title – a French record. However, the planned title was pushed into the background by the early knockout round in the Champions League against Bayern Munich.
Galtier’s last weeks in office were also overshadowed by a racism affair, the coach and his son had even been arrested in Nice. Galtier rejects the allegations and has to appear in court in Nice on December 15. The offenses he is accused of can be punished with a fine (up to 45,000 euros) or a prison sentence of up to three years.
His successor Enrique was fired as coach of the Spanish national team last December. His team had surprisingly lost to outsiders Morocco in the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar. As a Trauber of FC Barcelona, the 53-year-old won the Champions League in 2015, among other things.
“I can guarantee that we will work as a team,” promised the Spaniard at his presentation. “It’s a new cycle, a new way of playing, one of the best coaches in the world. Not for what he won but for his attacking style of football,” said PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi.