The revolving door at PSG continues in 2023 after Christophe Galtier was sacked as PSG manager after just one season in charge of the Ligue 1 side. Former Spain boss Luis Enrique was named as his replacement as PSG continue their eternal quest for Champions League glory.
It wasn't enough for Galtier to win the Ligue 1 title and the Trophee des Champions (French Super Cup) during the 2022/23 campaign. An unceremonious exit in the Champions League Round of 16, locker room discord, and an investigation into alleged discrimination brought an abrupt end to Galtier's reign.
Luis Enrique will be the latest manager to attempt to reverse the string of poor results that has afflicted most managers after taking up a seat on the PSG bench.
The Sporting News looks at those who have managed PSG since Qatari owners QSI took over in the French capital. What becomes clear: Luis Enrique has an uphill battle ahead of him.
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President and CEO of Paris Saint-Germain Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and the new coach Luis Enrique.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) July 5, 2023
🔴🔵 #WelcomeToParisLuisEnrique pic.twitter.com/ep6CfvUZw8
Is Luis Enrique the new PSG manager?
Rumours of a potential new manager at PSG for 2023/24 were long floating around since the beginning of May.
Julian Nagelsmann appeared to be a frontrunner at one point, with Thierry Henry as his potential assistant manager.
Whether he was first choice or not, Luis Enrique now has the gig, succeeding Galtier after agreeing on a two-year deal.
The former Barcelona manager showed interest in returning to club football after completing a cycle of coaching Spain at the 2021 European Championships and the 2022 World Cup.
Enrique won the Champions League during his time in La Liga, along with two La Liga titles and three Copa del Rey trophies. He won the treble in his first season at Barcelona.
PSG managers since 2011 under QSI
QSI took over ownership of PSG in 2011, helping them dominate domestic competitions and become a stronger side on the European stage.
Carlo Ancelotti was the first manager they appointed back then, and Luis Enrique became their 7th appointment in 13 season.
Laurent Blanc managed the most games at the club (173), while Galtier failed to reach the 50-game mark.
| Managers | Years | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Carlo Ancelotti | 2011-2013 | 77 |
| Laurent Blanc | 2013-2016 | 173 |
| Unai Emery | 2016-2018 | 114 |
| Thomas Tuchel | 2018-2020 | 127 |
| Mauricio Pochettino | 2021-2022 | 84 |
| Christophe Galtier | 2022-2023 | 49 |
| Luis Enrique | 2023-2024 | TBD |
Carlo Ancelotti
- Appointed: Dec. 30, 2011
- Departed: May 19, 2013 (to join Real Madrid)
- Trophies (1): Ligue 1 (2012/13)
After failing to win the league in his first season in charge (2011/12), Ancelotti bounced back the following year to secure the Ligue 1 title (2012/13). But he failed to win any cup competitions and only got as far as the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Laurent Blanc
- Appointed: June 25, 2013
- Departed: June 27, 2016 (mutual termination)
- Trophies (11): Ligue 1 (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16). Coupe de France (2014/15, 2015/16), Coupe de la Ligue (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16), Trophee des Champions (2013, 2014, 2015)
Blanc dominated on the domestic scene, winning 11 domestic trophies at PSG. But he couldn't get it done in the Champions League, losing to Chelsea (2013/14 on away goals), Barcelona (5-1 on aggregate in 2014/15), and Man City (3-2 on aggregate in 2015/16) in the quarter-finals in each of his three seasons.
Unai Emery
- Appointed: June 28, 2016
- Departed: May 19, 2018
- Trophies (7): Ligue 1 (2017/18), Coupe de France (2016/17, 2017/18), Coupe de la Ligue (2016/17, 2017/18), Trophee des Champions (2016, 2017)
Although Emery has the best win percentage of any PSG manager in the QSI era, his stint at the club will be remembered for the infamous result against Barcelona in the Champions League. They were knocked out by the Spanish side in the Round of 16 despite winning the first leg 4-0 (2016/17). It wasn't nearly as close against Real Madrid in the Round of 16 the following season (5-2 on aggregate in 2017/18).
Thomas Tuchel
- Appointed: May 14, 2018
- Departed: Dec. 24, 2020
- Trophies (6): Ligue 1 (2018/19, 2019/20), Coupe de France (2019/20), Coupe de La Ligue (2019/20), Trophee des Champions (2018, 2019)
Tuchel came the closest to Champions League success, leading PSG to their first-ever Champions League final in 2020, when matches were played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They lost 1-0 to Bayern, where Tuchel eventually became manager years later.
Mauricio Pochettino
- Appointed: Jan. 2, 2021
- Departed: July 5, 2022
- Trophies (3): Ligue 1 (2021/22), Coupe de France (2020/21), Trophee des Champions (2020)
Pochettino joined PSG mid-season after they sacked Tuchel. He led the Parisian club to the Champions League semi-final, but lost both legs to Man City. He did win his first trophy in his managerial career during his time at the club, winning the 2020 Trophee des Champions.
Christophe Galtier
- Appointed: July 5, 2022
- Departed: July 5, 2023
- Trophies (2): Ligue 1 (2022/23), Trophee des Champions (2022)
It all started so promising for Galtier, who looked early on like he was equipped to bring an edge and discipline to the team that it was missing under previous head coaches.
But despite a strong start, the situation devolved like it did for other coaches before him and the writing was on the wall for many weeks that he'd be departing, especially after another Round of 16 ousting in the Champions League in a series that wasn't even competitive against Bayern Munich.
Luis Enrique Champions League record
Enrique was in charge of Barcelona for three seasons in total, winning the Champions in his first campaign.
He had the fortune of managing the devastating front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez as the Spanish giants beat Juventus 3-1 in the 2015 final.
In his second and third season at the Catalan club, he lost in the quarter-finals of the competition to Atletico Madrid and Juventus, respectively.
| Champions League matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 24 | 3 | 6 | 1 (2015) |