The end of the line has come for Thomas Tuchel. Sport Bild is reporting that PSG has parted ways with Tuchel. The German manager was set to be a free agent following the conclusion of this season, but PSG’s board decided otherwise, as it ended his tenure with the club earlier than expected.
Tuchel is just a day removed from his now-former side’s 4-0 home win against Strasbourg. However, PSG’s decision to sack Tuchel at the halfway point of the season was not triggered by the result.
According to a report from Le Parisien, the breaking point for PSG in its decision to sack Tuchel may have been his recent interview with the German-based outlet Sport1. In the interview, Tuchel was straightforward and honest about his time with the club.
“In all honesty, in the first six months I was like, ‘Am I still a coach or am I a sports politician, a sports minister?” Tuchel told Sport1. “Where is my role as a coach at such a club now?
“I say to myself, I just want to be a coach. I believe that what I became a coach for and what I still am. Anywhere where there is a half-pitch for me to train and a DVD player for making videos, deep down I love the game and I can find that satisfaction in many ways as a coach.”
In a recent press conference, Tuchel backtracked the comments by stating that his words were taken out of translation. But according to Le Parisien, the damage may have already been done. The report notes that his comments were “not gone unnoticed internally.” More so, the relations between Tuchel and the club’s board had been “strained” as of late, so Tuchel’s comments may have given the club a firm reason to sack him.
Tuchel became more and more open about voicing his opinions about the club. Over the recent summer transfer window, Tuchel spoke about the dire need to bring in depth reinforcements to the club, to which PSG sporting director Leonardo later responded in public comments downplaying the German manager’s opinions on the matter. And Tuchel essentially was later forced to respond to rumored questions surrounding reported tension between him and Leonardo following the minor public back-and-forth.
Tuchel leaves PSG having won six trophies in four different domestic competitions. He helped lead the side to its first-ever UEFA Champions League final appearance last season.
PSG now looks ahead to replacing Tuchel while the German manager is now on the free agent market.
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