Reports: Paris agrees on Tuchel deal

By Oliver Trust

BERLIN, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Thomas Tuchel is reported to be on the way to Paris St Germain for the 2018/2019 season. According to several media reports, the 44-year coach has signed a two-year contract with the option for a third year.

Hiring the former Borussia Dortmund coach comes as a surprise as Tuchel hasn't won important international titles yet nor proved his ability to get along with international stars.

Rumors indicated the deal will be announced as soon as Paris has secured the French league title. Tuchel is expected to succeed current St Germain coach Unai Emery, who will not be retained after the side crashed out of the 2017/2018 Champions League early on.

Paris was eliminated by Champions League titleholders Real Madrid 5-2 on aggregate in the round of the last 16.

Media in England, France, and Germany report Tuchel has won the race against notable international competitors such as Massimo Allegri (Juventus Turin), Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham Hotspur), Sergio Conceicao (Porto) and former Chelsea, Tottenham and Shanghai manager Andre Villas-Boas.

Other media speak about Antonio Conte (Chelsea) and former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique having lost the battle for the Paris job against the German. A decision about a suitable assistant coach to support Tuchel is said to follow shortly.

Premier League clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea were also reportedly interested in Tuchel. Chelsea is said to have started negotiations with Tuchel's management, but that was before his decision to join Paris came to light.

In the French capital, Tuchel is expected to address the club's international ambitions and win the Champions League. Emery and his predecessor, former French national coach Laurent Blanc both failed to at least reach the semifinals of Europe's premier club competition.

The decision can be seen as a risky deal as Tuchel so far hasn't won any international titles. In 2017, he won the German Cup with Borussia Dortmund, his first ever major win as a coach.

The Qatari club owner Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is said to have been attracted by Tuchel's rising star image.

Other media speak about the Emir being impressed by Tuchel's ability to speak fluent French and his attacking vision for the team's future game.

Tuchel is not bound to one playing philosophy and often changes his system but demands his team seeks to dominate both with and without the ball. He requires his squad to adhere strictly to tactical patterns.

There are not many aspects of a professional footballer's life that Tuchel does not address as he is said to provide nutritional advice for his players, along with the expectation that they obey his orders.

Tuchel recently rejected an offer from 2013 treble winner Bayern Munich telling them that he had already agreed terms with a top European side. Bayern was accused not to have made up their minds in time to get the talented German coach.

The young manager was expected to join Bayern as the successor of Jupp Heynckes. The 72-year-old recommended Tuchel as Bayern's next coach emphasizing he has got the needed abilities to deal with stars and an internationally ambitious club.

Tuchel joined Dortmund in 2015 as successor to Juergen Klopp (Liverpool) after coaching the Bundesliga side FSV Mainz for five years. In 2017 he reached the last 8 of the Champions League with Borussia but departed after internal problems with the club's leaders such as CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and sports director Michael Zorc.

Rumors suggested that Tuchel's demanding working style were not to everyone's taste when taking care of the Blacks and Yellows. Now the ambitious coach seems just the right man to make international dreams in Paris come true. Enditem