Christophe Galtier has reportedly been appointed as the new manager of Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain. /CFP
French Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have appointed Christophe Galtier as their new manager, the club announced on Tuesday.
"I am delighted to join Paris Saint-Germain, I would like to thank the chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Luis Campos and the club for their confidence in me. I am fully aware of the responsibilities involved to coach this extraordinary team, which is one of the most competitive and spectacular squads in Europe," Galtier said in a statement.
The 55-year-old French manager took over from Argentine Mauricio Pochettino, who has managed PSG for 18 months. Though Pochettino helped the team win the Ligue 1 title last season, he failed to achieve the breakthrough PSG wanted the most in the UEFA Champions League. They were knocked out by eventual winners Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
Galtier has been in Ligue 1 with three teams since becoming a manager in 2009. His first stop was in Saint Etienne where he won the Coupe de la Ligue championship in the 2012-13 season. He joined Lille in 2017 and led the club to beat dominant PSG to win the Ligue 1 title in the 2020-21 season.
Christophe Galtier (C), manager of Lille, celebrates after winning the 2020-21 Ligue 1 championship at Stade Raymond Kopa in Angers, France, May 23, 2021. /CFP
He spent the 2021-22 season in Nice, leading the team to the Coupe de France Final before losing to Nantes 1-0. He left the club in June.
PSG has already hired Luis Campos, who has built a remarkable reputation as a scout, as the club's football advisor. Campos worked with Galtier in Lille when they won the Ligue 1 title in the 2020-21 campaign.
In their most important move during the offseason, PSG signed a three-year contract extension with their ace Kylian Mbappe. They also landed 22-year-old Portuguese midfielder Vitinha from Porto for 40 million euros (about $41.7 million).
The club will go to Japan to play three warm-up games between July 20 and 25 before going to Tel Aviv, Israel, to compete with Nantes in the Trophee des Champions game on July 31. The 2022-23 Ligue 1 season will begin on the weekend of August 6 and 7, according to the official website of the French top division.