Thiago Motta favored by PSG over Julian Nagelsmann?
PSG find themselves in a precarious position entering the home stretch of the season. Rumors are growing louder about a potential firing of current manager Christophe Galtier. Could former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann take his place?
With Paris Saint-Germain having only nine games left in their schedule after crashing out of the Champions League and the Coupe de France, Galtier needs to improve his results and win the Ligue 1 title if he wants to retain his position.
There have been many rumors and names floated regarding who will replace Galtier if he gets fired before the season is over or just ahead of the next campaign. One of the prominent names: Julian Nagelsmann.
According to football insider Jonathan Johnson, writing in his newsletter on Friday morning, "we will likely be discussing the prospect of Galtier moving on in the very near future."
Johnson points out the fact that "the next few days will be crucial for whether or not Galtier stays on until the end of the season," even more considering PSG will have to play against Nice away and Lens at home. Johnson highlights those two matches and labels them as "difficult games," which could "have a significant say on the title race."
Speaking about the potential chase and arrival of former Bayern head coach Nagelsmann in Paris, Johnson wrote thinks that the German is "a bright manager" but offered a couple of reasons why he doesn't think Nagelsmann will be PSG's next coach.
"I think there’d be a couple of issues with him," stated Johnson. "Because of his age, he seemed to struggle to a certain extent with the Bayern dressing room, so I don’t see that he’d be better suited to what would be awaiting him in that department at PSG."
Johnson kept on going, writing that "there’s also the cultural consideration," adding that Nagelsmann would have "to adapt to life in France and learn a new language."
Could Thiago Motta make a return to PSG soon to manage in Paris?
Finally, Johnson notes that PSG "feel they have a manager of the future of their own who’s in a similar age group in the form of Thiago Motta." Now, that's a shocker.
Motta, who is only 40 years old, is a former PSG player and he already managed at Paris Saint-Germain with the U19 team. Johnson reminds his readers that Motta "has been linked with the PSG managerial role a couple of times in the past".
Motta had no prior experience when those rumors first emerged a few years ago, but he’s now had a couple of seasons of managing under his belt at Italian sides Spezia and Bologna.
An obvious positive point in Motta's resume and case to take charge of PSG is his knowledge of the club and his relationships with the QSI ownership and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi from years past.
Johnson wraps up his report by saying that "Motta would be a better fit than an outsider, for want of a better word, like Nagelsmann."
According to the insider, "PSG is a specific environment and I think even if it’s changed a bit since Motta left, he’d be better suited to it than Nagelsmann."