Pochettino edges nearer PSG exit despite Ligue 1 glory

French champions Paris Saint-Germain are expected to announce the departure of boss Mauricio Pochettino within the next 24 hours after lawyers for the Argentine and the club thrashed out a severance deal.

Mauricio Pochettino's reign as head coach at French champions Paris Saint-Germain is likely to finish within days - a year before the end of the contract he signed in January 2021. AP - Manu Fernandez

Pochettino, joined the club in January 2021 following the dismissal of Thomas Tuchel.

Within weeks, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager led PSG to a French Super cup victory over Marseille.

But in Ligue 1 his side was pipped to the title 2021 title by Christophe Galtier's Lille.

PSG also fell short in the Champions League. They lost to Manchester City in the semi-finals.

Ironically, City then lost the final to Chelsea who were managed by Tuchel.

Following a summer of star signings such as Lionel Messi and Gigi Donnarumma, PSG were expected to reclaim the domestic crown and - with a forward trident of Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar - win the Champions League.

But from a position of strength against Real Madrid in the last-16, they collapsed at the Santiago Bernabeu to lose the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

Disappointment

Fan hostility to the debacle marked the subsequent Ligue 1 match against Bordeaux at the Parc des Princes where Messi and Neymar were booed constantly during a 3-0 victory that took them 15 points clear at the top of the table.

Even though Pochettino ultimately assured Ligue 1 success, it was widely expected that failing to steer a star-studded team to glory in European football's most prestigious competition would lead to his demise.

It is believed that Pochettino will pocket a figure close to his annual salary of 15 million euros as PSG's supremos finalise a replacement.

Former Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has been linked with the job as well as Galtier - who took Nice to the final of the Coupe de France and fifth place in Ligue 1.