How will Paris Saint-Germain play under Galtier?
Galtier replaces Mauricio Pochettino to lead PSG for the next two years. He is the Parc des Princes' seventh coach since 2011. Galtier's reputation does not stand out internationally compared to Ancelotti, Pochettino or Thomas Tuchel. But he is regarded as one of the best French coaches, even taking on the role of French coach "early" instead of Didier Deschamps.

Galtier has rich working experience in France. He led Saint-Etienne for eight years before moving to Lille and helped the club win Ligue 1 in 2020-2021. This season also marks the third time that Galtier has won the Best Ligue 1 Coach of the Year award. He then moved to lead Nice, helping the club finish fifth last season before being appointed by PSG.
Galtier has never worked abroad or coached a great star. As a result, there are suspicions that he can't control big names like Mbappe, Neymar, or succeed in the Champions League. In Lille or Nice, Galtier beat formidable opponents with solid play. But victory is not enough for PSG, they must play beautifully and deserve the club's investment.
Perhaps, those performances helped Galtier impress PSG's leadership. Although inferior in strength, the team led by Galtier is always difficult to beat under difficult circumstances, with spiritual strength and courage. That is what PSG have lacked in their brainstorming game at continental level.
The statistics also suggest that teams led by Galtier are generally solid defensively. Last season, while only fifth in the top nine with the fewest goals, Nice were the best defensive side, conceding just 36 goals, level with Paris Saint-Germain. Last season, Lille finished in at least the top four but was crowned with the fewest goals of the tournament (23; 0.6 goals per game).
Galtier prefers a 4-4-2 formation and pursues the style of deploying the ball from the goalkeeper. Therefore, he often prioritizes goalkeepers and defenders who play well with their feet. One of the two holding midfielders would step back and play like a third centre-back when conceding the ball or taking the lead. Wingers tend to move close to the edge to look for opportunities to coordinate or move behind an opponent's defence.

Position and gap are two factors that Galtier emphasizes. At Lille and Nice, players move flexibly, but whenever someone leaves a position, someone else fills in. The full-backs can stretch inwards to share the passing task with the holding midfield, but can also stretch upwards to provide more attacking options with the forwards backing back to catch the ball. Galtier's forwards are also asked to press and force opponents to cross the touchline.
Galtier's famous reputation in the way of playing the game, which allows your team to back off, set up a distance from losing the ball. With the top of the stars, PSG will always be waiting to give tribute, but with Galtier, the Pardes Princes can find balance in the attack and defense, what they've been looking for years.
"Paris Saint-Germain is different compared to the team I led before. Of course, because I will work with another group of players," Galtier said. "But this is a team that likes to control the ball, and it is important for us to find the right balance. Before talking about tactics or plans, I hope the players keep the spirit of high-intensity competition. Be ready to apply pressure and steal the ball.".
Another problem facing Galtier is reconciling the big shots in the team. In a bid to keep Mbappe, PSG's leadership reportedly granted the French player some decisive privileges in the dressing room. Galtier once said strongly that there is no bigger player than the team, but it is obviously not easy to build Paris Saint-Germain into a United team like Lille or Nice.
