Former PSG Boss Luis Fernandez: Thomas Tuchel the 'Worst Coach' Since Takeover

Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Fernandez has criticised incumbent boss Thomas Tuchel.

The former France international, who played for PSG and managed them for two spells, believes the German is nowhere near the world's best coaches.

He told DPA (h/t Goal): "In terms of last season's results, Tuchel is the worst coach since the Qatari takeover. He is still far from the level of Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola or Carlo Ancelotti."

Fernandez isn't the only one Tuchel has failed to impress:

Tuchel spent two years as Borussia Dortmund boss before he joined PSG in 2018. He took BVB to two DFB-Pokal finals, winning one, and he also guided them to second place in the Bundesliga in his first campaign.

When he moved to PSG, he became the fourth manager the club has appointed since they were taken over by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011, following Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc and Unai Emery.

Prior to the arrivals of Blanc and Emery, Fernandez was the most successful manager in the club's history in terms of silverware, having won five honours during his spells at the Parc des Princes.

Tuchel's first season at the club marked the first campaign since 2013-14 that they failed to win all three domestic cups on offer, but the team still won Ligue 1 by 16 points.

This season, the Parisians are 12 points clear in Ligue 1 after 24 matches. They are also into the semi-finals of the Coupe de France following their 6-1 win over Dijon on Wednesday, and they will play Lyon in the Coupe de la Ligue final on April 4.

The biggest test for PSG this season—as it has been for several years—is the UEFA Champions League. They have not reached the semi-finals of the competition since Fernandez took them to the final four in 1994-95, and in the past three seasons, they have been knocked out in the last 16.

Tuchel will face his former side Dortmund in that round this season. Last season, they were beaten 3-1 at the Parc des Princes by Manchester United to go out on away goals.

Fernandez said of that elimination:

"That definitely left its mark. We will see whether the trauma from that match can be overcome against Dortmund.

"The club's bosses expect to reach the final. They actually have all the prerequisites to do so, but they definitely have to respect Dortmund."

As with last year, PSG might be heading into the Champions League knockout phase without star player Neymar:

The Brazilian was missing against United last season, while Edinson Cavani only managed a substitute appearance in the second leg. However, even if Neymar does miss part or all of the tie with BVB, PSG have incredible attacking depth to cope with his absence.

Along with Kylian Mbappe and Cavani, Tuchel can also call upon Mauro Icardi, Angel Di Maria and Pablo Sarabia for goals and creativity in the final third. Between the five of them, they have racked up an astonishing 72 goals and 45 assists in all competitions this season.