As Paris Saint-Germain realised in early spring that Christophe Galtier was not the right manager to take them forward, the process began on finding a replacement who could finally deliver the French champions more than just domestic success. The early in-house decision surely put them at an advantage in their pursuit of a top-tier coach, didn't it? You wouldn't know it from what's happened since.
First, it was Thomas Tuchel. And why wouldn’t PSG want him? This was a Champions League-winning manager, all flailing limbs and clever tactics. Yes, the Parisians had been down the road before — and burned out spectacularly just months on from reaching the Champions League final — but there wasn’t a better manager on the market. Tuchel, though, was lured in by Bayern Munich before PSG had the courage to officially sack Galtier.
Then, briefly, it was Jose Mourinho. And perhaps that wasn’t the worst idea. Yes, the Portuguese manager had become, sommehow, even more toxic while at Roma. But he has always won in Europe — drab Europa League final penalty shootout loss a few weeks ago notwithstanding. Maybe a totalitarian regime was exactly what the Qatar-owned club needed.
After that, Julian Nagelsmann was the front runner. This one was even more exciting. The German wore trendy clothes, had a cool haircut and rode skateboards. There were some alarm bells following his sacking by Bayern, but he had the Bavarians well in pursuit of a treble before his unfair removal by an erratic board. Young, trendy, tactically astute - this was surely the direction PSG needed. But that move — one that seemed certain to materialise — has now fallen apart.
Instead, PSG have seemingly landed on Luis Enrique. The credentials are certainly there. He has won the Champions League, coached some big names, and will get the Parisians playing some pretty stuff. It does little to take away from the fact, though, that Luis Enrique is effectively fourth-choice, the back-up’s back-up’s back-up for a job that, theoretically, should be a hot commodity.
And this is all indicative of the state of the club. PSG, the biggest team in France, with the third-biggest budget in Europe, and the team that has been able to attract some of the biggest names in football, can't seem to nail down a big-name manager. They are, in effect, a team failing to correct their own mistakes, and running out of options in a vital vacancy because of it.