Christophe Galtier, the new manager of star-studded Paris Saint-Germain, issued firm warnings on Tuesday to the players coming under his watch that nobody will enjoy special status. “No one is above the team,” Galtier advised on his first day in charge of a club with a reputation as underachievers, at least in European competition, and a fame for frailty under high pressure. “There can be no compromising on hard work, respect and high demands,” he added. “I know I will have the support of the board to take the necessary decisions if any player, whoever he is, is not committing to the project.” Galtier signalled he expects changes to the make-up of a PSG squad who – despite the signings last summer of Lionel Messi, Gigio Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and Achraf Hakimi – flopped in the Champions League, dramatically letting go a two-goal lead in the last half hour of their last-16 defeat to Real Madrid.
They were also sometimes booed by home fans while on the way to clinching an eighth Ligue 1 title in the last 10 years. Galtier’s predecessor, Mauricio Pochettino, was sacked on Monday, the club’s president, Nasser Al Khelaifi, deeming him to have fallen short of making PSG as dashing or as successful as their array of attacking talents should be.
Some senior players will be following Pochettino to the exit. “I think the squad needs reducing,” said Galtier, “and I have talked to the directors about that.
You can’t have players going through a season and hardly playing. It makes them unhappy.” Among those earmarked for departure are Mauro Icardi, the Argentinian striker, his compatriot midfielder Leandro Paredes, the German World Cup winner Julian Draxler and even Georginio Wijnaldum, who joined last summer, amid fanfare, from