Paris St Germain striker Kylian Mbappe paid tribute to Thomas Tuchel after several media reported that the German coach was sacked by the French Ligue 1 club.
French sports daily L’Equipe and German newspaper Bild said the 47-year-old, coach who helped PSG reach the Champions League final in August which he lost to Bayern Munich, had been sacked after Wednesday’s 4-0 victory over Racing Strasbourg.
“Unfortunately, it is sadly the law of football. Nobody will forget your time here. You wrote a wonderful part of the club’s history and I say to you: thank you, coach.” Mbappe wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday.
PSG are third in Ligue 1 with 35 points in 17 matches, one point behind league leaders Olympique Lyonnais and Lille, and qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will face Spanish club Barcelona.
Tuchel joined the club at the beginning of the 2018-19 season, winning back-toback league titles as well as the Coupe de France and Copue de la Ligue in 2020.
According to L’Equipe former Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino, is set to be named Tuchel’s successor.
Pochettino, who played for PSG as a defender in the early 2000s, has been unemployed since his dismissal by Spurs in November 2019. He guided the London team to the Champions League final during the season 2018-19.
The Argentinian has had experience at PSG as a player, spending two years in Paris and won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001.
“Pochettino is aligned by @PSG_English. A great coach whose only downside is the lack of winning trophies well that’s about to change,” tweeted former Tottenham striker Gary Lineker.
PSG will now return to action on January 7 when they face St-Etienne.