Former Tottenham and Espanyol manager Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed as the new coach of the Paris Saint-Germain on a contract until 2022, with the option of a further year.
The club made this known on its website on Saturday, adding specifically that Pochettino had signed the contract until June 30, 2022.
The Argentine takes over at the Ligue 1 champions after more than a year away from the game since being dismissed by Tottenham, according to goals.com.
He takes over at the PSG following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel was dismissed on Christmas Eve despite a 4-0 win over Strasbourg the night before, with his departure formally confirmed on Tuesday.
Pochettino spent two-and-a-half seasons at the PSG as a player, making 95 appearances between 2000 and 2003, and winning the 2001 Intertoto Cup.
He had been out of work since being sacked by Tottenham in November 2019.
The hugely popular Pochettino had turned Spurs into title contenders and reached the 2019 Champions League final, but was dismissed with his side 14th in the Premier League table.
Now, he will be tasked with winning PSG their first Champions League title – though there is also work to do in Ligue 1.
The Parisians start 2021 third in the table, a point behind Lyon and Lille. PSG have already lost more league games this season than in the whole of the last campaign with star man Neymar suffering from a number of fitness problems and Kylian Mbappe generally below his best despite scoring 12 goals in 13 games.
Pochettino will take training on Sunday when the players return from their winter break and is looking forward to the challenge.
He also said,“I am really happy and honoured to become the new coach of Paris Saint-Germain,” Pochettino told the club’s official website.
“I would like to thank the club’s management for the trust they have placed in me. As you know, this club has always held a special place in my heart. I have wonderful memories, especially of the unique atmosphere of the Parc des Princes.
“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. 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.
“We will also do our utmost to give our team the combative and attacking playing identity that Parisian fans have always loved.”
Pochettino’s first game in charge will be a trip to 14th-placed Saint-Etienne on Wednesday, and there will be silverware up for grabs almost straight away.
PSG host Brest in Ligue 1 next Saturday before the Trophee des Champions against Marseille on January 13.
Usually the curtain-raiser of the French domestic season, the match sees PSG take on last season’s runners-up. Often held abroad, this year’s match takes place at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens, with PSG looking for an eighth consecutive title.
Barcelona beat Atletico to set up cup final against Real Madrid
It will be the eighth time there has been an El Clasico in the Spanish Cup final, with the nation’s two most successful club sides set to meet on 26 April in Seville.
Ferran Torres’ first-half effort proved decisive for Barcelona at Metropolitano Stadium, with the Spain forward poking the ball past Argentine goalkeeper Juan Musso after Lamine Yamal’s superb pass had split the home defence.
It was no more than the visitors deserved, with 17-year-old Yamal a constant source of danger and Raphinha also twice threatening to extend Barca’s lead.
Unlike the thrilling first-leg tie in February, when Diego Simeone’s side twice scored late on in a dramatic 4-4 draw, this was a tighter and more tense affair without the grandstand finish from Atletico.
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The hosts did have opportunities.
Substitute Alexander Sorloth elected to shoot instead of squaring the ball to Antoine Griezmann for a tap-in, while the Norway forward was also ruled offside after rattling in what he thought was an equaliser.
However, in truth, Atletico were second best to Hansi Flick’s side for long periods, with the record 31-time winners always appearing relatively comfortable as they extended their unbeaten run to 21 games across all competitions.
The Catalan club remain the only side in Europe’s top-five leagues yet to lose in 2025 and remain on course for a potential quadruple.
Barca, who have already won the Spanish Super Cup this term, lead the La Liga table by three points from Real Madrid.
They also host Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on 9 April (20:00 BST).
Meanwhile, the final against Carlo Ancelotti’s team in Seville will come just over two weeks before a potentially pivotal fixture between the clubs in the Spanish top flight.
Wike congratulates Okpebholo on tribunal victory
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has congratulated Gov. Monday Okpebholo of Edo on his victory at the tribunal.
The Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting on Wednesday, affirmed Okpebholo as the duly elected governor of Edo.
A three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, against the election outcome.
The petition challenged the result of the governorship election held on Sept. 21, 2024 but was struck out by the tribunal for lack of merit.
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Reacting, Wike, in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, urged the governor to remain focused on delivering good governance.
He advised Okpebholo not to be distracted but to remain dedicated to serving the people of Edo.
Wike described the tribunal’s ruling as a confirmation of the mandate freely given to Okpebholo by Edo voters.
The minister expressed confidence in the governor’s ability to bring relief and development to the state.
“This victory belongs to the people of Edo who elected, as their governor, Okpebholo.
“I believe in him, and with the way he has started, his government will positively impact Edo and its people,” he added.
(NAN)
Teacher arrested in Osun for allegedly molesting 7-year-old pupil
22-year-old male school teacher, Rufai Akorede, has been arrested in Ilesa, Osun State, by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for allegedly molesting a seven-year-old female pupil.
The NSCDC stated that Akorede is accused of “thrusting his manhood” into the child’s mouth in a classroom after school.
Following a report, the Osun NSCDC Commandant, Igbalawole Sotiyo, ordered an immediate investigation, which revealed the alleged molestation began in 2024, according to a statement signed by the state command’s public relations officer, Kehinde Adeleke.
According to NSCDC, in his confessional statement, Akorede admitted to the crime, explaining that after school hours, he instructed the victim to close the windows in the classroom before assaulting her.
“The second incident happened on March 20, 2025, after school hours. It was only the teacher and the girl who were in the class, and he pressed her buttocks,” Adeleke said.
Akorede was arraigned before the Magistrate Court in Ilesa, Osun State, on March 26, 2025, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded in the correctional centre. The trial has been adjourned.
In a separate case, 20-year-old Tiamiyu Samuel was arrested for allegedly having unlawful carnal knowledge of a 12-year-old girl in Gbongan, Osun State.
Adeleke, the NSCDC spokesperson, stated that Samuel had known the victim for three years and, after she rejected his advances, forcibly dragged her into his room on March 23, 2025, with the help of an accomplice.
The suspect allegedly threatened the victim with a cutlass before assaulting her, causing the victim to bleed. He then threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
“The accomplice is currently at large but will be apprehended to face the consequences of his actions. The suspect admitted committing the offence and a medical report confirms that the victim’s hymen was broken,” Adeleke said.
The NSCDC has assured the public that once the investigation is concluded, the suspect will be charged in court.
The Osun NSCDC urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and safeguard their children from such predatory individuals. The Commandant also warned that those engaging in such heinous acts will face severe consequences
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