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The former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has been given the reins as the new manager of French champions Paris St Germain.
Mauricio Pochettino has pledged to instill a "combative and attacking" identity into Paris Saint-Germain after taking over as the French champions' coach.
The weathy Paris club announced the hiring of Pochettino - their former captain who also led Tottenham to the Champions League final as manager - to replace the recently fired Thomas Tuchel.
"This team has fantastic potential and my staff and I will do everything we can to get the best for Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions," the Argentine Pochettino said after his appointment on Saturday.
"We will also do our utmost to give our team the combative and attacking playing identity that Parisian fans have always loved."
Pochettino, who took Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019, has signed a contract to coach PSG through June 2022 with an option for an extra year, the club said.
The 48-year-old inherits a squad that is talented but underperforming - by PSG standards. They start the new year in third place behind Lyon and Lille.
His first training session will be on Sunday ahead of Wednesday's visit to Saint-Etienne.
One of Pochettino's biggest tasks early on will be to get PSG past Barcelona in an eagerly-awaited Champions League round of 16 tie in February and March.
Pochettino played 95 games for PSG as a rugged central defender from 2001-03 and was a fan favourite.
"I have wonderful memories, especially of the unique atmosphere of the Parc des Princes," he said.
"I return to the club today with a lot of ambition and humility, and am eager to work with some of the world's most talented players."
Among those stars are Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Brazilians Neymar and Marquinhos.
During the recent break, Neymar was under scrutiny from media reports claiming that he flouted pandemic warnings with a large New Year's bash at or near his mansion in Rio de Janeiro state. Representatives for Neymar denied the star's links to the party.
Tottenham fired Pochettino in November 2019, only months after the Champions League final appearance, where Spurs lost 2-0 to Liverpool.
Similarly, Tuchel was fired four months after he led PSG to the 2020 Champions League final - losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
"The return of Mauricio fits perfectly with our ambitions and it will be another exciting chapter for the club and one I am positive the fans will enjoy," PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said.
PSG finished 2020 just one point back in third place in the French league after beating Strasbourg 4-0 on December 23.
They have struggled at times this season with four league defeats and fell short against their main rivals, losing 1-0 at home to Lyon and Marseille, and drawing 0-0 at Lille.
