Leonardo provides an update on Zinedine Zidane replacing Mauricio Pochettino as PSG manager
PSG sporting director Leonardo has quashed any rumors of sacking Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino and replacing him with Zinedine Zidane in an interview with Europe 1. The news has since been reported by renowned football journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The 52-year-old Brazilian also denied any potential Parisian interest in hiring the former Real Madrid manager before appointing Pochettino.
Paris Saint-Germain director Leonardo: "We never contacted Zinedine Zidane or any other coach. Also before Pochettino joined as new manager, we never opened any talk to appoint Zidane", he told Europe 1. 🇫🇷 #PSG
The absolute faith in Pochettino from the PSG hierarchy is a way to dispel any doubts about the managerial hot-seat at one of the most demanding football clubs in the world. Speaking about how Pochettino has the full support of the club, Leonardo said:
"He arrived during a year when we had problems. We said to him that we wanted to develop things and that he had time."
Many football experts have touted 3-time Champions League-winning coach Zidane as the ideal man for the PSG hotseat. However, the 49-year-old might be unlikely to take the job due to his past connections with PSG's rivals Marseille.
PSG all set for round of 16 clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League
PSG currently sit at the top of the Ligue 1 table with 45 points from 18 matches played. The gap between them and second-placed Marseille is a whopping 13 points.
With such a comfortable headstart in the league, PSG can afford to shift their complete focus to the much-anticipated Champions league tie against Real Madrid in the Round of 16. Since the Qatari takeover, winning the UCL has been PSG's ultimate goal and it is expected that the Parisians will do everything in their power to beat the 13-time UCL champions.
Mbappe has already scored 9 goals and provided 8 assists in the league and is turning out to be the most important player for the French side. Messi has had an underwhelming start to the Ligue 1 campaign, having scored only 1 league goal in 10 appearances. However, the former Barcelona man's numbers in the Champions League are far better, having scored 4 goals in the group stages.
Messi's stats in the UCL vs. Ligue 1 this season 👀 https://t.co/1bByzUCVGo
Neymar is currently injured but is expected to be back for the away trip against Lyon on January 9.
Sergio Ramos, the veteran defender, is all set to return to his old stomping ground and play against Real Madrid. Ramos has spent most of his playing career at Madrid, and it'll surely be an emotional return for him at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Sergio Ramos on PSG vs. Real Madrid 🗣️: "Fate is very unpredictable. I'd have liked us to draw another team, but that's how it is.'' 🥺
#UCLDraw https://t.co/z9CqSHecTt