"They are thinking about it" - French pundit calls for Pochettino's PSG sacking and names his preferred replacement

According to French pundit Eric di Meco, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) should sack manager Mauricio Pochettino in favor of Zinedine Zidane.

The former French footballer was not pleased after the Parisienne club were eliminated from the French Cup on Tuesday. They lost 5-6 in the penalty shootout to Nice in the Round of 16 of the Cup, after normal time ended in a goalless draw.

Speaking on RMC Sport's "Super Moscato Show," Di Meco said:

“After what happened, I think they are thinking about it. The Champions League is coming fast, and there are a lot of people in the market. I wouldn’t understand if they didn’t give Zidane a shot.”

He also mentioned PSG's upcoming Champions League Round of 16 fixture against Real Madrid and asked the club to sign Zidane. The pundit added:

“Real are coming in 15 days, and you see matches like last night where they there is no collective game… Individually we do not see any progress. That the players and the leaders are put in front of their responsibilities is one thing, but since Pochettino arrived, there is no progress. I even wonder if he don’t do it on purpose.”

Zidane has been highly linked with the Ligue 1 giants for a summer move. Meanwhile, Pochettino has been linked with the Manchester United job, taking over from interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

PSG have a quiet January transfer window

In any transfer window, PSG are generally looked at with interest by everyone. They have a history of big name signings. They still hold the record for the most expensive transfer when they bought Neymar from Barcelona for €222 million in 2017.

They had an incredible summer transfer window before the season as well. They signed the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Donnarumma among others. However, they had a quiet January transfer window this time.

They made no signings while letting three players go on loan. Sergio Rico went to Mallorca, Rafinha to Real Sociedad and Teddy Alloh to Eupen.

They have been intensely linked with Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele for a swap loan deal. But the deal didn't materialize and the Frenchman joined Olympique Lyon.

They were also linked with Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele in the final stages of the transfer window but again, it didn't happen.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar