Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi insists the club never approached Zinedine Zidane with an offer to become coach, as he confirmed interest in appointing Nice's Christophe Galtier.

Zidane has been strongly linked with PSG since leaving his post as Real Madrid boss last year, particularly as Mauricio Pochettino struggled to meet the lofty targets set by club owners Qatar Sports Investments.

Pochettino missed out on the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title after taking charge midway through the season, and although he led a star-studded collection of players to the French title the following campaign, he is widely expected to be dismissed after another disappointing Champions League effort.

Pochettino has been under pressure since PSG's dramatic 3-2 aggregate reverse to eventual winners Madrid in March, with Zidane touted as a replacement, but Al-Khelaifi says he has never been an option.

"I love Zidane, he was a fantastic player, of incredible class. An exceptional coach too, with three Champions Leagues," Al-Khelaifi told Le Parisien.

"But I'll tell you one thing: we never spoke with him, neither directly nor indirectly. A lot of clubs are interested in him, national teams too, but we have never talked to him.

"We have chosen a coach who will be the best for what we want to put in place."

Al-Khelaifi confirmed PSG's number one target is Galtier, the man who beat them to the 2020-21 title when in charge of Lille, and he hopes to appoint him soon.

"We are discussing with Nice, it is not a secret," Al-Khelaifi added. "I hope that we will find an agreement quickly, but I respect Nice and the president [Jean-Pierre] Rivere, everyone defends their interests."

With Pochettino set to leave the Parc des Princes and sporting director Leonardo having been effectively replaced by new football advisor Luis Campos, PSG are undertaking a significant rebuild after fending off Madrid's interest to tie Kylian Mbappe to a new contract last month.

The arrival of Lionel Messi last August capped an unprecedented recruitment drive from the club in 2021, with Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi among their other significant incomings.

Al-Khelaifi admits the club's model must change, as he called for an end to the "bling-bling" approach of signing big-name superstars to grow the club's brand.

"The dream is one thing, the reality another. Perhaps we should also change our slogan... 'Dream bigger' is good but today, we must above all be realistic," he added.

"We don't want more flashy bling-bling, it's the end of glitter."

Zinedine Zidane has always been a man focused on Real Madrid and France and therefore would not take the Paris Saint-Germain role should it become available.

That is the message from Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who briefly discussed the potential vacancy at PSG should reports prove to be true that Mauricio Pochettino will depart.

Pochettino lifted the Ligue 1 title with PSG in the 2021-22 season, his first trophy as a coach, but failed to deliver in the Champions League, falling to a last-16 exit against Madrid.

European glory remains the main goal for PSG's QSI ownership, with the understanding that Pochettino and the Ligue 1 giants have held discussions and agreed to part ways.

Zidane emerged as a frontrunner for the PSG job before Pochettino was appointed, but the preference of the 49-year-old remains to be seen.

Many believe Zidane is eyeing the France job should Didier Deschamps' Les Bleus role become available after the World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Zidane managed Madrid for two spells between 2016 and 2021, winning 11 trophies with Los Blancos – the second most successful manager in the club's history.

The Les Bleus great has also lifted PSG's much-desired Champions League crown on three occasions as a coach, with three consecutive successes in Europe's premier club competition between 2016 and 2018.

But Perez, speaking to the El Chiringuito programme in Spain, finds it hard to envisage PSG securing the services of Zidane.

"Zidane at Paris Saint-Germain? I don't know, but he's always been a man for Real Madrid and the French national team," Perez said. 

"That's what I know about him. But maybe he's now in a different situation."

Christophe Galtier, Julen Lopetegui and Marcelo Gallardo are also said to be among the favourites if Pochettino expectedly departs.

Mauricio Pochettino is not concerned by speculation around his Paris Saint-Germain future, having grown used to the repeated reports of his imminent dismissal.

After another season in which PSG failed to win the Champions League, it has been reported the club will move on from both coach Pochettino and sporting director Leonardo.

While a host of coaches have been mooted as potential successors to Pochettino, former Monaco and Lille chief Luis Campos is the favourite to come in as Leonardo's replacement.

As things stand, though, PSG have not removed either man from his position.

And Pochettino claims he is still expecting to lead the team into next season, telling Esport3: "I have one year left on my contract and there are a lot of rumours. Every week I am fired.

"PSG is causing this kind of thing. The club is trying to reinvent itself. The president will soon explain his new project, but I am calm."

The former Tottenham manager is confident he has overcome the noise generated by PSG's Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, having subsequently won Ligue 1.

"PSG are desperate to win the Champions League," he said. "The goal is to win it, and it is normal for 'storms' to be generated, but we reversed it by winning the league, just as [Manchester] City won it in England.

"With the expectations and the dressing room we have, it has been a continuous learning. We were one step away from eliminating Madrid – as were Chelsea, City and Liverpool.

"We won the same [at PSG] as [Carlo] Ancelotti, [Laurent] Blanc and other coaches, but there is a lot of impatience at the club."

Pochettino has been linked with the Barcelona job, now held by Xavi, throughout his coaching career, but he explained why that move could never happen.

"Neither my children nor my wife would have let me," he said, "and I have such strong ties to Espanyol that it would be impossible."

Angel Di Maria has indicated Mauricio Pochettino will be sacked as part of a "big change" at Paris Saint-Germain before the start of next season.

Pochettino is contracted to PSG until 2023, but it has long since been reported that his job is under threat.

Roma boss Jose Mourinho is the latest name to be linked with the Ligue 1 champions, while there has been no shortage of speculation that Zinedine Zidane could replace head coach Pochettino.

Di Maria has played his final game for Parisian giants with his contract expiring at the end of this month and the winger suggested Pochettino could also be on his way out.

The Argentina international told TyC Sports: "There are other players who will surely leave. Mine was the easiest because they didn't have to renew [his contract].

"On the one hand it hurt and on the other, no. I left in a very special way. It was an unforgettable night [Di Maria was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in a 5-0 thrashing of Metz], that an Argentine in another country has a farewell like mine, not everyone does.

"The affection of the PSG fans, the ones behind the goal, is the most difficult thing to achieve. That I go outside, that they sing for me alone and having made a mural for me to sign are things that remain in the memory."

He added: "It seems like they also want the coach to leave. There will be a very big change, but I think [Lionel] Messi knew how to understand it.

"It will help him to be much better next season. I think it will start very well because he ended up scoring goals, giving assists, feeling very comfortable and adapting more and more."

Di Maria has been linked with Juventus and Barcelona after becoming a free agent.

Mauricio Pochettino is "100 per cent" committed to Paris Saint-Germain and does not believe his future at the club will be decided by his relationship with Kylian Mbappe.

Both Pochettino and Mbappe have been the subject of speculation for much of this season.

But while the superstar forward has signed a new contract in Paris, snubbing Real Madrid, it is unclear how that development impacts his coach.

Pressure has been building on Pochettino since PSG again failed to win the Champions League, losing to Madrid in the last 16 despite Mbappe scoring in both legs.

Given reports suggest Mbappe has been given a significant say in the running of the club as part of his new deal, it would appear crucial Pochettino keeps the World Cup winner onside.

But in an interview with COPE, the former Tottenham boss seemed confident he would be given the opportunity to prove his worth at the Parc des Princes regardless.

"I have said I am 100 per cent here. Today I tell you I am 100 per cent here," Pochettino said.

"I have one more year of contract. The challenges are there and it motivates any coach.

"I don't think [the relationship with Mbappe is decisive]. I will be judged by the work. We have won all the titles that previous coaches have won. That is earned regularly, and you have to give it value. This league is not easy."

Asked if he wanted to keep his job, Pochettino added: "Of course, 100 per cent. It's a club that has ambition. The big disappointment is the Champions League because of the desire of the people."

Mauricio Pochettino is readying himself to work with Paris Saint-Germain on plans for next season despite fresh speculation over his future following the renewal of Kylian Mbappe's contract.

The blockbuster saga involving Mbappe finally reached a conclusion on Saturday when it was confirmed the superstar forward had agreed to stay at the Parc des Princes until 2025, snubbing the chance to join Real Madrid despite having been heavily expected to do so.

Inevitably, the fallout and furore has been extensive, with LaLiga and its president Javier Tebas heavily critical – the former threatening legal challenges over the renewal, which reportedly has seen Mbappe given a whopping €150million signing-on fee.

Additionally, it has been said Mbappe will have a say in decisions in the appointments of the sporting director and head coach, as well signings and player sales.

Indeed, Leonardo is already expected to depart as sporting director and Pochettino – whose future was shrouded in doubt after PSG were eliminated in the Champions League last 16 by Madrid – could also face the chop.

Speaking after PSG rounded out their title-winning Ligue 1 campaign with a 5-0 battering of Metz, a match in which Mbappe celebrated his bumper new deal with a hat-trick, Pochettino was asked what his own future plans are.

"Rest for a few days then get back in touch with the club to work on next season," Pochettino said.

The former Spurs boss also hailed the news Mbappe had opted to remain at PSG.

"We are proud that a year and a half later this player has decided to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain and that today he has also celebrated being the top scorer in the league and that he has become perhaps one of the best, if not the best player in the world today," he said.

"So this is a great source of pride and we are happy for the club, for the people who run it, from the president to the sporting department and, of course, for the fans, because he is a player who has the DNA of Paris, from here, and we are very happy that Kylian has made this decision to stay at Paris Saint-Germain."

Kylian Mbappe's anticipated contract extension will bring significant change to Paris Saint-Germain with doubt cast over the futures of Leonardo and Mauricio Pochettino by former midfielder Jerome Rothen. 

It was widely reported on Saturday that World Cup-winning forward Mbappe had opted to snub Real Madrid and prolong his stay at PSG for another three years. 

The news was shortly followed by claims it could spell the end of Leonardo's tenure as sporting director, while Pochettino's position as head coach was also brought into question. 

Former France international Rothen thinks the process with Mbappe has brought issues that need fixing to PSG's attention, and that they will be sorted as part of the agreement. 

"I think all his questions have been answered and that changes will be announced. By agreeing to extend, he will make things change," Rothen told RMC Sport. 

"He can't be seen as the one that will make heads roll. The project of Leonardo, the sporting director, was a failure and on a downward trajectory. 

"If Mbappe wants a new sporting project, automatically you have heads that will roll. There will be a lot of departures, and I even think that some will be surprised at who goes. 

"The leaders have become aware of the situation and all the dissatisfaction of the supporters will be lifted. This is good news for everyone." 

PSG conclude their triumphant Ligue 1 campaign at home to Metz on Sunday. 

Mauricio Pochettino has appealed to Kylian Mbappe to stay at Paris Saint-Germain and resist the temptation of Real Madrid, as a decision looms.

An announcement is thought to be imminent and the PSG head coach said it was important that it comes directly from Mbappe, whose contract expires at the end of June.

PSG, who hold a 15-point lead at the top of Ligue 1, face Metz on Saturday evening in their final game of the season.

Title celebrations are due to follow that game but could be overshadowed by news from Mbappe, who said he would confirm his intentions before the coming international break. Reports on Friday suggested clarity would come this weekend, and Pochettino hopes Mbappe decides to stay "for many more years".

It has been reported PSG have offered him a staggering financial package to remain with the French champions, but there remains little consensus on what Mbappe's decision will be.

"I don't know what it is. I don't walk to talk about it," Pochettino told a news conference on Friday. "I don't know what his decision is.

"It's a personal decision, for Kylian Mbappe linked with the club. There's a lot of information, a lot of rumours. We always respect the club and Kylian Mbappe's position. The club and the player have to speak about such topics.

"I do get information as the coach, but I'm not the right person to make a statement which isn't my responsibility. In this case, that lies with the player."

Pochettino said he had spoken to sporting director Leonardo "about many topics" and said he had "some information about what is happening" regarding player movement.

But he stressed that did not amount to being sure about what Mbappe's future would hold.

"As for what I want, I want Kylian Mbappe to be here for many years at Paris Saint-Germain," Pochettino said. "I don't know the information, I don't know what is going to happen. I am the coach of PSG and I would like him to stay here for many more years."

France striker Mbappe has been strongly linked with Madrid over the past year, with the Spanish giants making an attempt to sign him last August that was repelled by PSG.

The 23-year-old scored home and away against Madrid in the Champions League as PSG took a 2-0 aggregate lead in their last-16 tie, only for Karim Benzema's hat-trick in the final half-hour of the second leg on March 9 to guide Carlo Ancelotti's side to a comeback victory.

With 168 goals and 77 assists in 216 games for PSG, since arriving from Monaco five years ago, reigning Ligue 1 player of the season Mbappe would be sorely missed in Paris.

Pochettino's own future at PSG has been widely considered in doubt, despite delivering a landslide Ligue 1 title success.

Given the remarkable resources at his disposal, Pochettino had been expected by many to carry PSG deeper into the Champions League knockout rounds. He was linked with Manchester United recently, before Erik ten Hag was appointed boss of the Red Devils, and has also been touted in media reports as a possible candidate to coach Athletic Bilbao next season.

PSG's owners have not been shy in moving on coaches who have not met their high expectations in the past.

However, Pochettino declared he was keen to carry on working in Paris, saying on Friday: "I don't see any reason why I won't be here next season. I think the best is yet to come, hopefully.

"Everyone at Paris Saint-Germain wants to win the Champions League. That has become an obsession for the club. I hope we can achieve that."

Mauricio Pochettino is not concerned Paris Saint-Germain might get left behind in the upcoming transfer window.

Manchester City have made the first huge move in securing an agreement for Erling Haaland, while Borussia Dortmund have replaced their outgoing superstar with Karim Adeyemi – one of three impressive new signings.

Meanwhile, PSG still do not appear to know if Kylian Mbappe will leave the club this year, and uncertainty surrounds Pochettino's position, too.

But the PSG coach is confident the Ligue 1 champions are sticking to their usual process, which last year delivered a widely lauded window in which Lionel Messi arrived, among others.

"Every club works in its own way," Pochettino said in a news conference ahead of Saturday's game against Montpellier that was dominated by transfer talk.

"Paris Saint-Germain has its strategy and must follow it.

"I don't think anyone is ahead or behind; you just have to know where you're going. We must not compare PSG with other clubs.

"The end of the season is coming and the club is already working for next season."

Indeed, Pochettino insists PSG are in a good place, adding: "The work is done during the season. We discover players, we see the profiles, we see the possibilities of incomings that can improve the team.

"There is then a period when departures and arrivals happen, but it's a job that is done in parallel with the league. Most of the work is done during the season."

That could potentially be altered by an unexpected announcement from long-time Real Madrid target Mbappe, who has previously discussed his career options at the UNFP Trophies ceremony.

This year's gala is on Sunday, but Pochettino does not foresee news on the forward's future.

"It's a question for Kylian, but I hope not, because we will be in Qatar," he said with a smile. "And in any case, if there is a communication, we hope that it will be positive for the club.

"But I don't think so – and that's a question for him."

Mikel Arteta has denied he came close to joining Mauricio Pochettino's staff at Tottenham, even though the Arsenal boss considers the Argentinian a "football father".

The Spaniard is preparing to face Spurs on Thursday evening in a north London derby which could confirm a return to the Champions League next season for the Gunners.

It would cement an impressive turnaround under Arteta following a tough 2020-21 campaign that saw the club miss out on European football entirely.

Arteta is looking to burnish the reputation he has at Emirates Stadium, where he spent the end of his playing days before joining Pep Guardiola on the Manchester City coaching staff.

He was asked about having once been tipped to cross the divide and join rivals Spurs, when they were led by current Paris Saint-Germain boss Pochettino.

That was a reported possibility in 2016, but the Gunners boss has poured cold water on the suggestion it could have happened, albeit reinforcing the point that he shares a close bond with the former Tottenham manager.

"No," Arteta said when asked if there was truth to the rumours. "My relationship with Mauricio comes from when I was 18 years old."

As a teenager, Arteta went on loan from Barcelona to PSG, and Pochettino was a team-mate.

"I have always said, for me, he was like a football father," Arteta said. "I have an extraordinary relationship with him. But unfortunately, he was a coach at Spurs, and I was here at the time. That relationship hasn't changed, but that isn't the case."

Arteta touched on the relationship between his team and their fans following this season's resurgence, saying he hopes a derby victory will strengthen their bond.

"The players want to show them gratitude for the way they have performed with the team," he added. "That would be the answer – to say thank you.

"We're in this together, and now the journey is going to change us, and I think we are going to be more excited about the future."

Arsenal can secure Champions League football with victory over Spurs, while a failure to win for Tottenham would also assure Chelsea of a top-four finish.

Marco Verratti declared Paris Saint-Germain are "left feeling p***** off" they have nothing to play for after Champions League disappointment and winning Ligue 1.

PSG cruised to a record-equalling 10th French top-flight title – only Saint-Etienne can boast as many – in April, while no player in Ligue 1 history has won as many championships as Verratti (eight).

However, Mauricio Pochettino's side remain in search of an elusive Champions League crown, having been dumped out at the last-16 stage by a remarkable Karim Benzema-inspired Real Madrid turnaround.

Kylian Mbappe scored in either leg to hand PSG a 2-0 lead, before Benzema delivered a second-half hat-trick at the Santiago Bernabeu to stun the visitors and reopen fresh Champions League wounds.

Meanwhile, since securing the title, PSG have thrown away two-goal leads in consecutive games, allowing Strasbourg and Troyes to share the spoils on both occasions.

Verratti vented his frustrations after the stalemate with Troyes as he acknowledged finding motivation is difficult with the league already in their hands.

"There is a bit of frustration. I think these are matches where you have to have fun, it's about winning and playing well as a team," the Italy international told Amazon Prime Video.

"We are in one of the quietest moments of the season because there is no pressure. We just have to have fun. When you are free in your head, you can enjoy it even more.

"I'm a little frustrated about that. We're coming to the end of the season and we always come out of games feeling p****** off. It's not the thing you dream of at the end of the season, especially when you are already champions.

"I honestly think that we could do much better with the team we have. In difficult times, we could be better. When we are good as a team, we manage to take more pleasure from those matches.

"It was a tough season. Even if we are champions, at the start of the season it was tough, we won a lot of matches late on.

"That means we have great character, because we're still there two minutes from the end to score a goal, but I think we could be better as a team.

"It's true that we changed the team a lot with several rookies. It is not an excuse, but it's the truth. It's difficult to create a big group when you change a lot. You have to take the good things of this season and try to build on it for next season."

Whether Pochettino stays in charge for the next campaign remains to be seen, with reports in France suggesting Zinedine Zidane as a potential target if he is not waiting until after the 2022 World Cup to take DIdier Deschamps' job with France.

Whoever is at the PSG helm, Verratti knows it will take another sizeable effort next year to reset and attempt to banish the Champions League demons.

"We fought hard against Madrid and did 150 minutes very well," he added.

"We won the championship, that's good and I think there's not much missing. Everyone has to give more so at the end we can say: 'OK, we have no regrets, we gave everything, they were stronger'.

"We do have this little regret. We had a dream in the Champions League. If you reach the semi-final then you can find yourself in the final having played two games well. Madrid hit us hard."

Mauricio Pochettino was left to lament costly defensive errors after Paris Saint-Germain squandered a 2-0 lead in their frustrating 2-2 Ligue 1 draw with Troyes on Sunday.

Ligue 1 champions PSG found themselves 2-0 up inside 25 minutes at the Parc des Princes after Marquinhos and Neymar found the net, but Nuno Mendes' dire pass allowed Ike Ugbo to halve the arrears before Florian Tardieu scored a second-half penalty to ensure the points were shared.

The disappointing draw marked the first time PSG had led by two goals in a home Ligue 1 match and failed to win since February 2015 in a 2-2 draw against Caen, after Presnel Kimpembe's clumsy foul allowed Tardieu to beat Keylor Navas with an audacious Panenka. 

The Parisian giants were again booed by their own supporters at the full-time whistle, and have now thrown away a two-goal lead in consecutive games after being pegged back from 3-1 down in a 3-3 draw at Strasbourg last time out.

However, Pochettino, who is facing mounting pressure in the French capital despite PSG's title win, claimed his side were unfortunate not to win and should have been awarded a penalty when Achraf Hakimi appeared to be pushed shortly after the break.

"We started the match well, then we made two errors which cost us two goals," he said after the entertaining draw. "I think we still created more than Troyes.

"We deserved a little more luck tonight. We may have missed this tension of the competition. The objective was to win the championship, it's done. Now you have to respect the competition, and I think we did.

"I think [the lack of a penalty] was not justified. There was a penalty on Hakimi on the other side of the field. Our opponents must surely think the opposite, but that's my opinion."

PSG are now on a three-match winless streak in Ligue 1 – each of those finishing in draws – which is their longest such sequence since April 2019 (also three).

They have also failed to win back-to-back home games for the first time since suffering three consecutive home defeats between February and April last year.

Pochettino's team had numerous chances to win the game, with Lionel Messi hitting the post and the crossbar and Neymar having two goals ruled out by VAR.

Messi has now hit the woodwork 10 times in Ligue 1 this season. Since Opta began collecting such data (2006-07), no player has done so more often in a top-flight season (Bakary Sako also did so 10 times for Saint-Etienne in 2011-12), leading the forward's boss to rue his "incredible" misfortune.

"It's an incredible lack of luck," he said. "We could have won the match on his last action [when he hit the bar in the last minute]. For a player of his quality, this is the only explanation."

With PSG having wrapped up their 10th Ligue title last month, Pochettino has faced criticism from some quarters for not giving more game time to the club's young players.

But the Argentine insisted PSG's academy prospects must earn their right to play, and noted the fierce competition in his star-studded squad.

"It is important to clarify that we built a squad of more than thirty players at the start of the season. We had departures in January, but it is a team where there is not much room for young people," he added.

"They have to earn their playing time. Several have been training with us since day one. It's a first step. What is important is the composition of the squad going forward and that there is room for them to gain minutes. Little by little, young people will find their place."

Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain threw away a two-goal lead for a second successive league game as Troyes battled back to earn a 2-2 draw at the Parc des Princes.

The hosts looked to be in control when Marquinhos and Neymar gave them a comfortable first-half lead, but a series of defensive errors allowed the visitors to fight back in an entertaining affair.

Having surrendered a 3-1 advantage in last week's 3-3 draw with Strasbourg, PSG were on the wrong end of another turnaround when Ike Ugbo and Florian Tardieu scored either side of the break.

Neymar also had two goals disallowed as PSG laboured to another underwhelming result, as the pressure on head coach Mauricio Pochettino continues to mount.

The hosts looked on course for a routine win when Marquinhos turned in Angel Di Maria's excellent cross to open the scoring after five minutes, with Neymar doubling the lead from the spot 20 minutes later after Erik Palmer-Brown clumsily felled Kylian Mbappe.

But Troyes were soon gifted a route back into the game when Ugbo intercepted Nuno Mendes' terrible pass to fire into the bottom-left corner after half an hour.

PSG went close to re-establishing their two-goal advantage when Lionel Messi side-footed against the post, only for Neymar to be ruled offside when smashing home the rebound.

The visitors punished another PSG error when Presnel Kimpembe hauled down Renaud Ripart after the interval, allowing Tardieu to execute an audacious panenka to level the scores, before Neymar saw another goal chalked off after Mbappe's foul in the build-up.

Marquinhos sent a firm header wide and Messi crashed a long-range shot against the bar as the hosts chased a late winner, only for the disciplined visitors to claim a point at a frustrated Parc des Princes.

What does it mean? PSG drop rare home points

While PSG remain unbeaten in 21 Ligue 1 home games (18 wins, three draws), they have now gone two home matches without a win for the first time since doing so between February and April 2021 (three consecutive defeats).

The result will do little to disquiet the discontent around Pochettino's team, with the Argentine under severe pressure despite wrapping up PSG's 10th Ligue 1 title last month.

Neymar continues fine form

Despite PSG flattering to deceive in the second half of the season, Neymar's strong individual performances have proven crucial to their title win.

After converting his first-half penalty, the Brazilian has contributed to goals in each of his last six league games (seven goals and three assists in total).

Tardieu on the spot

In a contest which revolved around two spot-kicks, Tardieu kept his nerve to beat Keylor Navas with a sumptuous lob as the visitors earned a creditable draw.

The 30-year-old has scored four Ligue 1 goals this season, each of them from the spot.

What's next?

PSG travel to Montpellier for the penultimate outing of the Ligue 1 season next Saturday, while Troyes host Lens on the same day.

Mauricio Pochettino declared it difficult to rate Paris Saint-Germain's season after a record-equalling Ligue 1 title followed Champions League disappointment.

PSG held a slender 1-0 advantage heading to Real Madrid in the Champions League last-16 second leg before doubling their advantage in the return fixture, but a Karim Benzema-inspired second-half turnaround dumped Pochettino's side out the competition.

Questions circulated and still remain over the future of Pochettino at PSG, who replaced Thomas Tuchel at the helm in January 2021.

Former Tottenham boss Pochettino may have somewhat eased the pressure by clinching PSG's 10th league title, but the Argentine admitted it is hard to judge the success of the season.

"It's very difficult to rate the season," he told reporters at a pre-match news conference on Saturday before facing Troyes. 

"When I arrived a year and a half ago, the main objective was to win the Champions League. From the moment we haven't achieved it, it's difficult.

"Despite everything, there is this satisfaction of having obtained this 10th title in the history of the club. It's always something to win a national title."

Pochettino did not make the five-man shortlist for the Ligue 1 coach award by the French players' union, UNFP, despite winning the title.

The list was instead made up of Christophe Galtier (Nice), Bruno Genesio (Rennes), Antoine Kombouare (Nantes), Jorge Sampaoli (Marseille) and Julien Stephan (Strasbourg).

However, Pochettino insists he has no problem with the lack of personal recognition.

"I have no opinion to give," he said when asked about the award. "I didn't have any either when I was one of the England nominees alongside Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. 

"It's a fact, I don't have much to say."

PSG will turn their focus to ending the season in strong fashion, next hosting Troyes on Sunday, though the Ligue 1 champions may be without star forward Lionel Messi.

The Argentina captain returned to individual training after feeling pain in his ribs, but another review will be conducted on Sunday morning to see if the former Barcelona star is fit to feature.

Pochettino, though, has been satisfied with PSG's preparations.

"Yesterday we had a great time together as a squad," he continued. "Everyone was there, we are a real family and it's important to spend time together like that.

"We have prepared well for tomorrow's match. We need to remain professional until the end of the season and we are ready for this penultimate home match.

"It's important to finish our work in the right way. We need to continue to work because we also need to prepare the players for the international matches that are coming soon."

Mauricio Pochettino has found an ally in Peter Bosz after the Paris Saint-Germain boss was snubbed in nominations for a Ligue 1 coach of the year award.

Lyon boss Bosz said Pochettino's PSG have produced "a very good season" and commended Pochettino for his work in Paris, where he led a star-studded team to title success.

The French players' union, UNFP, revealed nominees this week for the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 prizes.

Pochettino did not make the five-man shortlist for the Ligue 1 coach award, which instead was made up of Christophe Galtier (Nice), Bruno Genesio (Rennes), Antoine Kombouare (Nantes), Jorge Sampaoli (Marseille) and Julien Stephan (Strasbourg).

Galtier won the award last year when he led Lille to the league title, pipping PSG, but this year has been a procession, with Pochettino's team 14 points clear of second-placed Marseille with three games remaining.

Bosz said of Pochettino: "Of course he has the best individual players, but in my opinion to build a team is the hardest thing at this club.

"He's a good coach. He's champion of France with the best players certainly, but you can't be champion all the time. His job is the most difficult in our championship.

"They've been champions since October, that's clear. They've always been ahead. They've produced a very good season."

PSG were knocked out of the Coupe de France by Nice on penalties in January, and saw their Champions League challenge ended in March by Real Madrid, who came back from 2-0 down on aggregate deep into the second leg of their last-16 tie to win 3-2 overall, setting the tone for the Spanish giants' dramatic run to the final.

By winning only two major trophies – this season's Ligue 1 and last term's Coupe de France – Pochettino has faced speculation over whether PSG intend to keep him at the helm.

While Pochettino was not included in the UNFP nominations, and nor were Neymar and Lionel Messi, PSG do have some representation ahead of the May 15 Trophees du Football ceremony.

Kylian Mbappe has been nominated as a contender for player of the year, Gianluigi Donnarumma is on the goalkeeper of the year shortlist, and teenage left-back Nuno Mendes features in the five-man pool for the young player of the year honour.