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Despite their incredible success in recent seasons, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) were not counted among Europe's elite clubs until 2010s. The previous decade saw the French side, backed by the Qatar Sports Investment Group, embark on a rapid rise to prominence.
During that time, the Parisians have won seven league titles. They have also lifted six Coupe de France trophies, six Coupe de la Ligues (French League Cup) and eight Trophee des Champions (French Super Cup). Their stranglehold on French football cannot be exaggerated.
Despite recent success, PSG endured a slow start to the 21st century
The idea that PSG would dominate Ligue 1 and make deep runs in the Champions League seemed farfetched in 2000s. Out of the club's 43 major honors, 31 have come in the 21st century with just four between 2000 and 2010!
The French giants also employed seven different managers between 2000 and 2011, of which only Luis Fernandez had a win percentage of over 50. Times have changed, though, and PSG have employed some of the most in-demand coaches over the last few seasons.
On that note, let’s take a look at the five greatest PSG managers of the 21st century:
#5 Carlo Ancelotti
Despite being one of the greatest coaches of all time, Carlo Ancelotti's time in France was unexpectedly short. After managing the likes of AC Milan and Juventus, big things were expected of the Italian when he joined the French giants in January 2012. However, Ancelotti only lasted 16 months in Paris before expressing his desire to leave the club and take the Real Madrid job.
He led the club to the 2012-13 Ligue 1 title, which was their first in nearly two decades (since 1993-94). It marked the beginning of the club's dominance in French football, and it is no surprise the club were desperate to keep hold of him. Don Carlo managed PSG for 77 games, winning 49 of them.
#4 Mauricio Pochettino
Despite rumors swirling around his future at the club, Mauricio Pochettino is still on the hunt for trophies in the 2021-22 season. The Argentinean coach joined PSG in January 2021 after being sacked by Tottenham Hotspur in 2019.
Despite failing to get the best out of the fearsome attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, Pochettino hasn't been an abject failure either. He has already delivered the Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions last year. These were the first pieces of silverware in his managerial career.
His side are on course to snatch back their Ligue 1 title from Lille, who won it last season. They are currently top of the table with 59 points from 24 games, 13 points clear of Marseille in second. They also hold a narrow 1-0 advantage over Real Madrid after the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie.
Pochettino currently has 48 wins from 69 games as head coach of the French giants and is looking to add to his haul of two trophies.
#3 Unai Emery
Unai Emery arrived in France from Sevilla in 2016 with a glowing reputation, having led the La Liga side to three consecutive Europa League triumphs (2014-16). He enjoyed a successful two-year spell in the French capital. But he departed the club at the end of the 2017-18 season, despite having a year left on his deal.
PSG dominated cup competitions under Emery, winning back-to-back Trophee des Champions, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue honors. They also won the 2017-18 Ligue 1 title, meaning the Spaniard finished with seven trophies in two seasons. The Parisians won 87 of Emery's 114 games in charge, giving him a win percentage of 76.3, the highest in PSG's history.
#2 Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel narrowly pips Unai Emery to second place on our list. The two managers' stats at PSG are quite similar but the German led the club to two Ligue 1 titles as opposed to Emery's one.
Tuchel joined PSG in 2018, a year after leaving Borussia Dortmund. Although the Parisians won trophies under his management, the German's confrontational approach did not sit well with the club's demanding board. Nonetheless, Tuchel came closest to leading PSG to an elusive Champions League triumph, going down 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final.
He was sacked by the club midway through the following season after a disastrous start to the 2020-21 campaign. The club won 96 of Tuchel's 127 games as head coach and won six trophies. This includes two Ligue 1 titles, two Trophee des Champions, and a Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue each. His win percentage of 75.6 is the second-highest in the club's history.
#1 Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc's three-year reign from 2013 to 2016 saw him become the third-longest serving manager in PSG history. This shows how often the Parisians tend to change their head coach. Nonetheless, with 11 trophies in three years, he is the most successful Paris Saint-Germain coach of all time. The French club won 126 of Blanc's 173 games in charge, the most under any of their managers.
Blanc helped PSG cement their place as French football's most dominant club of 2010s. He won Ligue 1, the Coupe de la Ligue and the Trophee des Champions three times apiece, the most of any PSG head coach. The club also won two Coupe de France trophies under his leadership.
Blanc left the club in 2016 and has been unable to replicate his remarkable success at the French club ever since.
