Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has confirmed that Zinedine Zidane will not be the club’s new manager, with Christophe Galtier set to take the job instead.
Zidane had long been expected to take over at PSG following a sabbatical from management but Galtier has jumped to the front of the queue to replace Mauricio Pochettino in recent weeks. The manager spent last season with Nice after guiding Lille to a shock Ligue 1 title in 2020/21.
Speaking to Le Parisian, Al-Khelaifi insisted that the club had never been in talks with Zidane and have ‘chosen another option’: “Zinedine Zidane? I’ll tell you one thing: we never spoke with him, neither directly nor indirectly. Many clubs are interested in him, national teams too, but we have never discussed with him.
“We have chosen another option than Zidane. We’ve chosen a coach who will be the best for what we want to put in place.
“The fans disappointed to have Galtier and not Zidane? The dream is one thing, the reality another. Dreaming big is good but today, we must above all be realistic, we no longer want flashy, bling-bling, it’s the end of glitter. We want reality “
The PSG president also gave an update on talks with Nice over Galtier, stating that he is hopeful of finding an agreement.
“We are having discussions with Nice,” he said. “It’s no secret. I hope we will find an agreement quickly.”
