Tuchel’s management style is not one Paris Saint-Germain are used to, but it could be something that takes them to the next level.
Thomas Tuchel is a man known as much for his strictness as he is for his tactics, which made him a surprising choice for many when it was announced he was heading to French giants PSG.
The former Mainz and Borussia Dortmund boss is a very tactically astute coach, but his relationship at his former club broke down over time, and he can be a difficult person to work with, leaving behind a divided dressing room.
With superstars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, players of a standard that Tuchel hasn’t managed before, he has already begun to stamp his mark on the club, proactively getting ahead of potential problems by eradicating them before they emerge.
The 44-year-old German, who lost 3-1 to Bayern Munich in his first preseason friendly, might have his work cut out.
Neymar has already tried to exert his influence on transfer dealings, reportedly ordering the club to attempt to sign Luis Suarez, but Tuchel does not appear to be someone who will stand for such nonsense.
This week it emerged that he has banned fizzy drinks, sugary foods and pasta from the player’s diets in an attempt to get them as fit as possible for the season ahead, and he has got to know the owners of local nightclubs that are popular among the PSG players so he will be notified if they go there against his instructions.
A stickler for discipline, Tuchel can be difficult to get on with — as Borussia Dortmund’s players found out — but if PSG’s players can tolerate his controlling nature, they’ll be better for it.
He had a strained relationship with Dortmund’s board and will have to balance rules with getting on with people, but if he can get that balance right, the custodian approach could be exactly what PSG need.
PSG have the talent, but they needed a strong leader to keep the personalities under control. Unai Emery was incapable of doing that; Laurent Blanc before him came unstuck at the top level too. Tuchel will do things slightly differently, and it might just prove to be the best policy.
PSG are destined to dominate Ligue 1, but the Champions League is where they really need to make an impact. Tuchel has never got past the quarterfinals of Europe’s elite competition and that will have to change for him to be deemed a success.
A dictatorial figure could be exactly what PSG require to get the best out of their players. With so many egos, not least Neymar, someone attempting to hold everything together has a tough task, but one that would yield huge rewards should he pull it off.
Get the balance between dictator and manager right, and Tuchel will be known as the coach who turned potential into one of the best teams in the world.
His appointment remains a risk for PSG, but they have tried and failed with the alternative. Failing to clamp down on individuals over-exerting their status has been PSG’s undoing in the past, and Tuchel will certainly not stand for that; the question is whether he will go too far the other way.
For that reason, the appointment should be classed as a risk, but it might just prove to be a risk that pays off.