Mauricio Pochettino warns PSG stars they must ‘deserve to wear the shirt’

Mauricio Pochettino has warned his star-studded PSG squad that they must “deserve to wear the shirt” as he prepares to take the reins in the French capital.

The former Tottenham boss was confirmed as the new PSG head coach on Saturday and will take his first training session on Sunday, ahead of the midweek trip to St. Etienne.

The Argentine inherits a squad blessed with the talent of global superstars such as Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, but while they have dominated domestic football, the club have often flattered to deceive on the biggest stage in Europe, though they did reach last season’s Champions League final.

"In this club it's always been about excellence, the players have to deserve to wear the jersey," Pochettino, who played for PSG as a defender in the early 2000s and also captained the side, told the club's website. "I think that it's a fantastic squad and I think that we can accomplish what this club and the players want because they are competitors and they want to lift trophies."

The 48-year-old, who has signed a deal until June 2022, said his first task would be to ensure everyone at the club worked together.

"Our main goal is to make sure everyone is heading in the same direction. The idea is for everyone to want to win for the club more than anything else. We want to be a strong club with a strong structure," he added.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

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