Mauricio Pochettino airs grievances over 'ungrateful' PSG
By Sean Walsh
Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that being manager of Paris Saint-Germain was a rather thankless task.
The Argentine replaced Thomas Tuchel in the Parc des Princes dugout midway through the 2020/21 season, guiding them to the Champions League semi-finals but being unable to usurp Lille in Ligue 1.
PSG's high profile summer transfer window of 2021, in which they recruited the likes of Lionel Messi, was followed by a disjointed campaign, taking back the French title but imploding in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Pochettino paid the price for an underwhelming season and was sacked earlier this year. Speaking in an interview with Marca, he opened up on the troubles PSG faced last term.
"What I think is that a team club model was created. A model of designing such a template was a very difficult challenge, with many unknowns. All those personalities, with that talent, in a team has only happened in Paris," he said of trying to strike a balance at PSG.
"The circumstances with which this model was created needed time. Players who came from the Copa America, from Euro 2020, injuries, a new city, culture...we found ourselves with nine or ten players who were captains of their teams.
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"I think it was an incredible experience that will never happen again in the world. Now, with a year of experience, the players already know how to behave, which spaces to attack.
"It was a team in which the most talented players arrived later and until January, February it was not possible to train three days in a row."
Pochettino was then asked if PSG lacked gratitude as a club, replying: "Totally agree. Everyone underestimates the work of the coach. Especially when we won it was due to individual talent and if we lost it was the coach's fault."