5 candidates being tipped to replace Unai Emery as PSG manager
The UEFA Champions League is rightly regarded as the Holy Grail of club football in Europe and winning it confers on a club the status of an elite football institution.
Such is the competition's appeal from a footballing, aesthetics and even commercial perspectives that certain clubs have made it the barometer for judging the success/otherwise of a season.
PSG have once again, despite a huge financial backing, flattered to deceive in the competition and it is expected that Spanish manager Unai Emery will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
The club owned by Qatari sports investment firm; Oryx Qatar Sports Investments (QSi) have spent heavily on the team investing €238m on players this season including the €222m world record fee paid for Brazilian superstar Neymar and on-loan French tyro Kylian Mbappé (whose transfer could cost the club a total of €190m).
Despite the almost guaranteed win of the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe De La Ligue trophy, the meek surrender to Real Madrid in the second round tie of this season's Champions League is almost certain to be the kiss of death for the former Valencia and Sevilla manager.
The club is reported to have begun the search for a new manager here is a look at five of the top candidates being considered.
#5 Paulo Fonseca
One of the younger coaches making waves in European football and the latest high-profile name to emerge from Europe's current hotbed of coaching talent (Portugal), the 45-year-old is among the outside candidates being considered for the job at the Parc De Princes.
Currently, the manager of Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk, Fonseca seems to have hit his peak at the team having won the treble in the Eastern European league: League, Cup and Super Cup. Shakthar also lead the Ukranian Premier League after 25 games.
Noted for his attacking style of play, Fonseca who replaced the universally beloved Mircea Lucescu in 2016 generally favours a 4-2-3-1 formation which is basically one striker, three attacking midfielders, a box-to-box midfielder, a holding midfielder, and a back four.
His love for attacking football means he would be willing to find a way to fit in PSG's many attacking talents while not sacrificing defensive solidity.
He is an outside shot and is reportedly also being sought after by Everton the PSG board may have to make its move early.