November 26, (THEWILL) – Leonardo Araujo, the sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain, has stated that the club “does not want Mauricio Pochettino to leave” and has disputed allegations that they have spoken with French manager Zinedine Zidane about replacing the Argentine.
Pochettino has been connected with the Manchester United management post on several occasions even though, on Thursday, Ralf Rangnick was reported to take as interim manager until the end of the season. Pochettino still remains on their radar to take over in the summer.
PSG had been said to be considering replacing the former Tottenham Hotspur manager with Zidane, but Leonardo disputed this in a statement released on Friday.
“We do not want Pochettino to leave,” Leonardo told AFP on Friday. “He never asked to leave and no club contacted us in relation to him.
“We have lots of respect for Zinedine Zidane, for what he did as a player and coach, but I can affirm very clearly that there was no contact or meeting with him.
“It is ridiculous to imagine that a meeting with Zidane could have taken place in a big hotel, in Paris, in front of the world.”
Pochettino was asked about the vacancy in a pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon and said: “Rumours are there and we need to live with that. This is what we are living. We need to be focused. I am so happy in PSG. I was a player at PSG, I love the club, I love the fans.”
He did not, however, rule himself out of the United position, and keen observers felt he said just enough to appease his bosses but not quite enough to scare United away.
Pochettino’s contract in Paris runs until the summer of 2023, and even if he wanted to go, United would have to cough up a considerable chunk of money and PSG would have to change their stance on the matter.
At the moment, the hierarchy at Les Parisiens is not as devoted to Pochettino as they were in the summer, when they pushed hard to prevent the 49-year-old from returning to Real Madrid and triggering an option in his contract to prolong his stay until the end of next season.
Pochettino continues to live in a hotel in Paris, which the PSG leadership finds odd. They are also annoyed that the week’s conjecture has served as a diversion in the lead-up to the World Cup in Qatar, which begins in a year.
Of course, much now hinges on Rangnick’s position in the coming months, with his agreement on Thursday to become United’s next interim manager and stay on as a consultant for another two years. It is unclear what role he will play in succession planning and if that will include Pochettino.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
