Galtier: PSG working on next season's plans, including talks with Messi

By Sports Desk March 31, 2023

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier is optimistic about the club's plans for next season, but admits there are parts of the setup that need improving "significantly".

PSG still have a seven-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 despite a 2-0 home defeat to Rennes in their last game before the international break.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's clash with Lyon at Parc des Princes, Galtier explained the work that is taking place to plan for the future, including discussions with Lionel Messi, whose deal expires at the end of the season.

The World Cup winner has been linked with a return to Barcelona as well as a potential move to MLS with David Beckham-owned Inter Miami.

"What will happen next season, we are working on it a lot, with management, with [director of football] Luis Campos," Galtier said.

"There is what we want to do but there are also the positions of each other, the club, the players. What we need to change quite significantly, what we need to improve quite significantly to be even more competitive. 

"Regarding the future of Leo, there is the position of Leo, of the club, it is discussed between the two parties. 

"I am focused on the 10 matches that come up to get this title. As for knowing what Leo or the club will decide, that remains very confidential."

Galtier also provided an update on Neymar, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Lille in February.

"During the break, he came in for an evaluation of his ankle post-op," Galtier explained. "We're talking with him a lot, we obviously follow his rehabilitation process.

"When there is an injury like this one, I like to give the player a bit of space, but we obviously keep in touch very regularly."

PSG have just 10 league games remaining this season, having been eliminated from both the Coupe de France and Champions League, and Galtier has used the international break to try and prepare his team as they look to seal the Ligue 1 title.

"We've had 10 days to work with a limited number of players," he said. "We've taken care of the little injuries, the players are coming back little by little. Tomorrow we will have a session focused on the game.

"Paris-Lyon is a classic fixture in this league. We need to get back to winning ways after Rennes, and get back on track in the final sprint."

Related items

  • Luis Enrique insists PSG will 'celebrate' Ligue 1 title, despite wait for confirmation Luis Enrique insists PSG will 'celebrate' Ligue 1 title, despite wait for confirmation

    Luis Enrique insists Paris Saint-Germain are "going to celebrate" winning the Ligue 1 title, despite their third successive domestic crown not quite being mathematically secure.

    PSG missed the chance to seal the deal when they were held to a 3-3 draw by relegation-threatened Le Havre, who led 3-1 at one stage at Parc des Princes.

    Despite seeing that opportunity go begging, Luis Enrique's side are 12 points clear of second-place Monaco, who have a game in hand, with three matches remaining.

    But the Spaniard knows the job is "effectively" done, with his team needing just one more point and boasting a 29-goal advantage over Monaco.

    "Today, we have effectively won the league, given the goal difference, so we are certainly champions - even if we don't get any more points," he told reporters at his post-match press conference. "We have a 29-goal advantage, and we are going to celebrate the title.

    "It was a strange game in a footballing sense, because our opponents did so little in attack, yet they scored three goals. I don't think I have ever seen anything like that in my career as a coach. 

    "They are well drilled and defended well, I must admit, so I congratulate them on that. We deserved to win it from the beginning, but that is football.

    "Our fans are incredible. We were losing 1-0, 3-1, and they kept supporting us. It is impossible for the players to stop fighting. We managed to draw later on and effectively win the league thanks to the supporters, and their positive attitude."

    With the Trophee des Champions already in the bag, PSG are on course to win four trophies this season with Borussia Dortmund awaiting in the Champions League semi-finals, and a Coupe de France final against Lyon to look forward to.

    Luis Enrique insists his players' main focus is on delivering that elusive Champions League crown, having narrowly missed out on the title four years ago following a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the final.

    "We have won two of the four trophies already, and we are going to try and reach the Champions League final now," he added. "That is the goal, and that is what we are going to put all our commitment and effort into.

    "I think the team is in the best form of the season, without any doubt."

  • Kane gunning for Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga goal record Kane gunning for Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga goal record

    Harry Kane has his eyes set on Robert Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga goal record after scoring twice in Bayern Munich's 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, though he knows he needs "to get a move on".

    Kane scored in both halves on Saturday to take his tally to 42 goals this season across all competitions, also reaching the 400-goal mark at senior level for clubs and country.

    The striker scored 280 of those goals for Tottenham, holding the honour of being the club's all-time leading scorer, while he is also the most prolific player in England history with 62 goals for the Three Lions.

    With 35 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances this season, Kane now has his eyes set on another piece of history.

    Former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski holds the record for the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga campaign, netting 41 times in 2020-21.

    Asked about the possibility of breaking that record with just three games remaining in Bayern's league campaign, Kane said: "It's possible, but obviously I have to get a move on!

    "I've got to maybe score a few goals next week. It's there, it's in touching distance. 

    "It depends on the last few games of course, but it was nice to add to it today and score a couple of goals to help the team."

    Bayern next host Real Madrid in the first leg of a Champions League semi-final tie on Tuesday, before travelling to face Stuttgart on Saturday.

  • Pochettino says VAR 'damaging' English football as Chelsea denied Villa win Pochettino says VAR 'damaging' English football as Chelsea denied Villa win

    Mauricio Pochettino claimed VAR is "damaging" English football after Chelsea saw a potential winning goal chalked off at the end of their 2-2 Premier League draw with Aston Villa. 

    Despite a bright performance, Chelsea found themselves 2-0 down at half-time on Saturday with Marc Cucurella putting through his own net before Morgan Rogers added Villa's second.

    Goals from Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher dragged Chelsea level as they penned Villa back after the break, but the Blues were enraged in stoppage time when Axel Disasi saw a potential winner ruled out.

    Disasi headed home in the fifth minute of stoppage time to spark wild celebrations among the visiting Chelsea fans, only for referee Craig Pawson to disallow the goal following a pitchside VAR review, ruling Benoit Badiashile pushed Diego Carlos in the build-up.

    With that incident coming just one week after Chelsea were denied a penalty in their FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City despite Jack Grealish appearing to handle Cole Palmer's free-kick, Pochettino has had enough.

    "Everyone that was watching the game will feel disappointed. The referee said it was a foul and disallowed the goal after going to the VAR to confirm," he told TNT Sports.

    "The referee is unbelievable and it's ridiculous. It is difficult to accept these types of things. In the semi-final it was handball and it was no penalty, the referee didn't check it.

    "It is painful as it has damaged English football and I think Villa players and their fans didn't understand why the goal was disallowed.

    "They said it was a foul and if you see the challenge… if we go into every single challenge like this and it is going to be a foul, we wouldn't finish the game with 11 players.

    "We can talk about the performance or the decision – it is damaging the game."

    Pochettino had no complaints about Chelsea's performance, though, as they avoided defeat for just the fourth time in 51 Premier League games when trailing by two or more goals at half-time.

    The Blues previously achieved that feat in a 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in 1992, a memorable 2-2 draw with Tottenham in 2016 and another 3-3 draw with West Brom in 2020.

    Chelsea racked up 21 shots to Villa's nine and put up 1.57 expected goals (xG) to the hosts' 1.1, with Nicolas Jackson and Palmer spurning glorious chances in either half. 

    "The performance was very good," Pochettino said. "We played really well and it is true in the first half we conceded too easily.

    "To play Villa, who are fighting for the top four, I am pleased with the team. Now, we have to move on and the headlines will be about the disallowed goal."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.