Paris Saint-Germain has officially named Luis Enrique as the club’s new head coach, signing him to a two-year deal. The French champions made the decision to replace Christophe Galtier, who was relieved of his duties earlier this week.
Expressing his enthusiasm about the new role, Luis Enrique shared his thoughts with the club’s official website, saying, “I’m delighted to be joining Paris in order to enjoy a new experience. It’s so exciting to meet new people, to live in this city, to learn a new language and, above all, to manage PSG.”
Luis Enrique was a candidate for recent managerial vacancies at Chelsea and Tottenham, having been available since departing from his position as Spain’s coach in December, following their elimination in the last 16 of the World Cup against Morocco in Qatar.
The 53-year-old’s previous club job was with Barcelona, where he achieved the treble in 2015. With experience at Roma and Celta Vigo as well, Luis Enrique now takes the helm at PSG, succeeding Galtier, despite the latter leading the team to the Ligue 1 title in the previous season.
However, PSG’s performance declined after the World Cup, suffering 10 defeats in 28 games. Their Champions League journey ended in the last 16 against Bayern Munich, and they also faced a last-16 defeat to Marseille in the French Cup.
Galtier’s dismissal comes with one year remaining on his contract, which he signed with PSG in July 2022. The club expressed gratitude to Galtier and his assistants, Thierry Oleksiak and Joao Sacramento, for their professionalism and dedication throughout the season, while also wishing them the best for their future endeavors.
Despite PSG’s acknowledgment, Galtier’s departure is tainted by controversy. On Friday, he was summoned to stand trial in December on charges of psychological harassment and discrimination as part of an investigation into racism allegations during his time at his former club, Nice.
Galtier and his son, John Valovic-Galtier, were taken into custody for questioning on Friday morning. Following his son’s release without charge, Galtier, who vehemently denies the allegations, was referred to the public prosecutor’s office to await trial in Nice on December 15.
