Mauricio Pochettino appointed Paris Saint-Germain's head coach

Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on Saturday confirmed the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as the new head coach.

The Argentine has signed a contract with the club until June 30, 2022, with an option for an extra year. The 48-year-old Pochettino has a history at Paris Saint-Germain where, as a centre-back and club captain, he made 95 appearances for the Rouge & Bleu between 2001 and 2003, scoring 6 goals.

Le Paris Saint-Germain est heureux d’annoncer la nomination de Mauricio Pochettino au poste d’entraîneur. L’entraîneur argentin a signé un contrat jusqu’au 30 juin 2022, plus une année en option.

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) January 2, 2021

Mauricio came through the ranks at Newell`s Old Boys in his native Argentina, before moving to Europe to play for Espanyol FC and then Paris Saint-Germain. Born in Murphy, Argentina, he won 20 caps and scored 2 goals for his country, and his fighting spirit made him a favorite of the Parc des Princes crowd during his 30 months in Paris.

After retiring from playing, Mauricio began his coaching career at Espanyol FC between 2009 and 2012, before developing his experience in England with a spell from 2013 to 2014 at Southampton and then at Tottenham Hotspur from 2014 until 2019.

As Spurs manager Pochettino showed a real talent for managing top-level players with his passion and his ambitious vision of football, taking the Lilywhites to their first-ever Champions League final in the 2018/19 season. Mauricio will take his first training session for the Rouge and Bleu on January 3, 2021, following the winter break.

"I am really happy and honored to become the new coach of Paris Saint-Germain. I would like to thank the club`s management for the trust they have placed in me. As you know, this club has always held a special place in my heart. I have wonderful memories, especially of the unique atmosphere of the Parc des Princes. I return to the Club today with a lot of ambition and humility, and am eager to work with some of the world`s most talented players," said Pochettino in an official release.

17h24, c’est l’heure d’écouter les premiers mots de Mauricio Pochettino comme entraîneur du @PSG_inside  pic.twitter.com/oiIQVLiq3D

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) January 2, 2021

This team has fantastic potential and my staff and I will do everything we can to get the best for Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions. We will also do our utmost to give our team the combative and attacking playing identity that Parisian fans have always loved," he added.

Earlier this week, PSG had confirmed the sacking of its coach Thomas Tuchel. Under Tuchel, PSG had reached the finals of the Champions League 2019-20, and the side had to suffer a loss against Bayern Munich in the summit clash.