Thomas Tuchel PSG 2019-20Getty Images

'Tuchel is PSG's worst coach since the Qatari takeover'

Former Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Fernandez has stated that Thomas Tuchel is the worst managerial appointment the French side have made since Qatar Sports Investments took over back in 2011.

QSI, headed up by chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, has overseen a dramatic overhaul at the French club, revolutionising the facilities and bringing in big names such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Neymar in a bid to secure Ligue 1 dominance and win the Champions League.

The latter title remains elusive, however, with Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc, Unai Emery and Tuchel himself all having failed to deliver Europe's most coveted club trophy to the Parc des Princes.

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And Fernandez, who turned out as a defensive midfielder for PSG in his playing days before going on to take in two spells as the club's head coach, doesn't expect that to change under the current management, with other big names still seen as better placed to deliver European glory.

“In terms of last season's results, Tuchel is the worst coach since the Qatari takeover,” the 60-year-old said in an interview with DPA. “He is still far from the level of Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola or Carlo Ancelotti.”

Indeed, PSG were beaten in the Coupe de France final last term, losing out to Rennes on penalties after the teams were locked at 2-2 following extra time – the first time in four years the Ligue 1 champions have failed to lift the cup.

Similarly, defeat was suffered at the quarter-final stage of the Coupe de la Ligue - Guingamp knocking out the heavyweights after winning and scoring two late penalties in a 2-1 result at PSG's home stadium.

The most damning of failures for Fernandez, however, was the manner in which his old club were dumped out of the Champions League by Manchester United, with a double from Romelu Lukaku and another late penalty, scored by Marcus Rashford, overturning PSG's first-leg victory.

And with Borussia Dortmund up next in Europe in the round of 16, Fernandez hopes PSG don't suffer a similar fate this season as they look to navigate their way through the knock-out rounds.

“That definitely left its mark,” he said of the defeat to United. “We will see whether the trauma from that match can be overcome against Dortmund.

“The club's bosses expect to reach the final. They actually have all the prerequisites to do so, but they definitely have to respect Dortmund.”

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