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Unai Emery was brought to the Parc des Princes by the owners with the hope that the Spaniard would help the club win the elusive UEFA Champions League title. Having won the UEFA Europa League title with Sevilla for 3 consecutive seasons, Emery was expected to lead the Parisian club to glory in his first season.
But, A 7-1 second leg drubbing at the hands of Barcelona saw Paris Saint-Germain crash out of Europe's top competition in the knock-out stages. They also lost out to AS Monaco in the race for the Ligue 1 trophy.
At the start of the 2017-18 season, the owners heavily invested in the squad, smashing the world transfer record by bringing in Neymar Jr. The likes of Dani Alves and Kylian Mbappe were also brought in to build a squad capable of dominating Europe.
This season, Paris Saint-Germain have entered the knock-out stages of this season's competition by topping their group, but face a tough match ahead against holders Real Madrid in the round of 16.
Defeat in that match, or failure to win the trophy, would definitely spell the end of Unai Emery's term as the club's manager. So, that being said, here is a look at 5 potential candidates to take over from Unai Emery, at the helm of the French club:
#5 Carlo Ancelotti
Ancelotti was sacked from Bayern Munich in the early stages of the 2017-18 season after the Bavarian club's slow start to the new campaign. Having already managed clubs like Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea and Real Madrid, the Italian has the pedigree to manage a club with PSG's aspirations.
The veteran manager has already been in charge of PSG in the past, leading the team to the Ligue 1 title in his one full season at the helm. Ancelotti has the know-how of succeeding in the UEFA Champions League, previously winning it twice with AC Milan and once with Real Madrid.
Having managed top players throughout his career, he would have no trouble in taking over the squad and solving the type of rifts that have erupted between Neymar and Cavani in recent times.
Currently a free agent, he would definitely be on the list to replace Unai Emery.
#4 Zinedine Zidane
Real Madrid have made a rather slow start to the new season after winning the double in the last campaign. Despite having a game in hand, they currently find themselves a massive gulf of 16 points behind arch-rivals and league-leaders Barcelona in the league, and face a tough tie against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Because of all this, Zidane's job at Real Madrid is under threat. Club president Florentino Perez is known for having no patience with managers if the team does not perform according to his expectations.
When was asked about this situation, Zidane said,
“It’s sad, but here you never know."
“I will try to end the season in the best way because we have many possibilities to win things again and that’s really motivating for me and for the team. I can’t look further than the six next months I have ahead.”
“I take responsibility for my choices and for everything I did, I won’t blame anyone else if things don’t go well, like it happened in some games", he said.
Despite all this, the Frenchman has been hugely successful since taking over from Rafael Benitez, winning 8 trophies in the process. His excellent man-management skills would be a useful asset with PSG boasting a squad comparable to the one at Real Madrid.
ZIdane made history by leading Real Madrid to two consecutive UEFA Champions League titles and is definitely a contender for the PSG job if he is sacked by Real Madrid.
#3 Jose Mourinho
'The Special One', as he is dubbed by media and fans around the world, has won trophies at almost every club he has taken charge of. A hugely decorated manager, the Portuguese brings in the type of arrogance that any top club should possess.
Mourinho is currently overseeing a transitional phase at Manchester United, but has in the past mentioned that PSG is a club that excites him, stating, "The other day my son who lives in London went to Paris and not to Manchester to watch the match,”
Asked why his son chose that option, the United manager added: “Because at the moment in Paris there is something special. Magic, quality, youth, it’s fantastic.”
He has said on a number of occasions that he will not end his career in Manchester, and having already managed several top clubs across Europe, Paris could be his next destination. At PSG, he would have the kind of backing from the board that he has craved throughout his career, alongside access to unlimited transfer funds.
A two-time Champions League winner with Porto and Inter Milan, Mourinho is another contender for the top job at the Parc des Princes.
#2 Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger is coming towards the end of his long tenure at Arsenal. With fans growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of trophies the club has won over the last decade, the management will soon be looking to move on from the Frenchman and hand over the reigns to a new manager.
Even though Wenger still has a year left on his contract, he is being tipped to leave the Emirates sooner rather than later, and hence could depart at the end of this season.
Even though the latter part of his career at Arsenal has resulted in less success, he has previously been in charge of a team that went unbeaten through the season. Wenger also led Arsenal to 3 league titles during a time in which Manchester United were at their peak and were dominating England.
Further, Wenger has the experience of managing in France, having previously won the Ligue 1 title with Monaco in the 1987/88 season, and will bring loads of experience to PSG, both domestically and in Europe.
Editor's note: The only roadblock is the French FA does not allow clubs to appoint managers who are aged over 65. However, that rule was waived for Claudio Ranieri to take over at Nantes. Perhaps Wenger could be given a special dispensation as well?
#1 Antonio Conte
French publication Le Parisien recently reported that the top brass at PSG have gotten in touch with Antonio Conte to be their next manager. The Italian has been in charge of Chelsea since 2016 and won the Premier League in his first season in England.
There have been reports that Conte is becoming increasingly frustrated with the Chelsea board. He was very vocal with his disappointment when Matic was allowed to leave the club for Manchester United. Conte moaned about the lack of quality in his squad and stated it would be difficult to retain the title if new players were not brought in.
According to rumours, Conte is looking for a way out of Chelsea, and PSG would be the ideal destination for Conte in order to take his career to the next level and win the UEFA Champions League.
