PSG fired Tuchel on Christmas Eve, Pochettino was appointed new boss

Paris Saint-Germain have sacked manager Thomas Tuchel with former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino replacing him, sources told ESPN.

Sources added that Pochettino, who spent five years with Spurs before his dismissal last November, has been in negotiations with PSG for two weeks.

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The Argentine captain spent two years at PSG, where he won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001.

Tuchel has paid the price after the French champions lost four games in Ligue 1 this season and entered the winter break in third place in the table, one point behind Lyon and Lille.

Sources have told ESPN that several players expected Tuchel to get the sack, but he liked the locker room.

Sources also said Tuchel held meetings with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo, and it was decided to replace him last week due to his tension with Leonardo and the lack of style of play.

The French champions suffered a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Lyon on December 13, before a goalless draw at Lille on Sunday.

Despite the losses against Manchester United and RB Leipzig, PSG advanced to the Champions League qualifier and will face Barcelona in the eighth of February.

The departure comes four months after Tuchel led the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost to Bayern Munich in Lisbon.

Tuchel was appointed for a two-year contract in 2018, replacing Unai Emery, and won the Ligue 1 title in his first campaign before claiming a domestic treble in his second, in addition to reaching the Champions League final.

However, his third season in Paris was overshadowed by a disagreement with Leonardo over the hiring of players.

In October, Tuchel publicly criticized Leonardo and said, “We lose too many players on free transfers. It’s too much, too much. We can’t ask this squad the same thing we did last season.”

Leonardo responded the next day, following PSG’s 6-1 win over Angers in Ligue 1: “I didn’t like their comments. They didn’t like the club either.

“We have to understand the moment we spend. If someone isn’t happy, it’s easy, we can talk. But if you decide to stay, you have to respect the people who are above you.”

Thiago Silva, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Thomas Meunier, Edinson Cavani, Tanguy Kouassi and Adil Aouchiche left PSG during the summer, although they signed Alessandro Florenzi, Moise Kean and Danilo Pereira on loan and Rafinha on a free transfer.

Tuchel separated from Borussia Dortmund in May 2017 amid disagreements with the club hierarchy, despite having guided the club to the DFB Pokal title three days earlier.

PSG return to action when they face a trip to Saint-Etienne on 6 January.

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