Having fallen short time and again to win the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain has turned to Christophe Galtier to try and bring them European glory.
More than familiar with the French top flight and having worked wonders at Lille, Galtier could instil the mental edge needed for PSG to finally get their hands on that elusive Champions League trophy.
Biggest Challenge Of Galtier’s Career
There is no doubting the magnitude of the challenge for Galtier at the Parc des Princes as he embarks on his biggest job in management to date. PSG, who can be backed at 6/1 when you bet on football to win the Champions League this season, are by far the biggest club the 55-year-old has managed. Spells at Bastia, St Etienne, Lille, and Nice followed an interim coaching role at Marseille. All these experiences have led Galtier to the biggest club in the country and the one that is desperate to finally end its wait for European glory. It remains to be seen whether Galtier’s lack of experience at a big club is an issue, and it’d be a surprise to see a team managed by him short in the Premier League odds if he ever moved across the British Channel, but for now, his debut season will certainly one to keep an eye on.
With no shortage of big names in the squad, getting all of the PSG stars on board with the new manager’s philosophy will be essential. The likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are three of the biggest names in the game and trying to get a system that works for all three players will go a long way to determining how successful Galtier’s first season at the helm will be.
Creating A Siege Mentality
Winning the Ligue 1 title with Lille back in the 2020/21 season will have been a big factor in bringing Galtier to the Parc des Princes this summer. Against all the odds, Lille managed to win the title against the league’s big spenders by a single point. It was a campaign that saw a managerial change at PSG, with Mauricio Pochettino coming in to replace the now Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel. That transition played into Lille’s hands, and Galtier took full advantage to give Les Douges the fourth top-flight title in the club’s history.
It was clear in that season that Galtier had brought together a group of players who were ready to push themselves and sacrifice themselves for the cause. That togetherness and siege mentality is something Galtier will be looking to bring to the Parisian giants. It’s certainly something that worked for Real Madrid this season, as Los Blancos went on to win a remarkable 14th European title.
Beating the stars of PSG on their way, Real also defied the odds and surprised many who thought they did not have the quality to go all the way and beat Liverpool in the final. Granted other teams on paper had better sides, but former PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti was able to bring his team together to achieve their objective.
Galtier has shown in the past he is capable of bringing such unity to a team and now he must do it under the intense spotlight that is Paris Saint-Germain Football Club.
