PSG: Tuchel looking to emulate Klopp's Liverpool European success
Thomas Tuchel will be aiming for Champions League glory on Sunday to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor at Mainz and Dortmund, Jürgen Klopp.
The names of Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel are intrinsically linked in European football. The current Paris Saint-Germain manager has followed in the footsteps of Liverpool’s Champions League-winning coach throughout his career, taking over indirectly from Klopp at Mainz in 2009 after a season with the youth team (during which Jørn Andersen was in charge of the seniors) and subsequently replacing Klopp at Dortmund in 2015 when the latter made the move to Anfield.
On Sunday in Lisbon, Tuchel will hope the link remains in place as he seeks to succeed Klopp as holder of the Champions League when PSG take on Bayern Munich in the Estádio da Luz.
Tuchel did not enjoy as much success as Klopp at Dortmund, winning the DFB-Pokal in 2016-17 while Klopp did the same in 2011-12 as part of a domestic double and back-to-back Bundesliga victories.
Tuchel on verge of matching Celtic's 1966-67 quadruple
Still, Tuchel has added four major titles to his laurels at the Parc des Princes – two Ligue 1 championships, a Coupe de France and the last-ever Coupe de la Ligue – and now stands on the cusp of an historic quadruple. Only Celtic in 1966-67 have ever achieved what purists consider a genuine quadruple (setting aside minor tournaments, one-off Super Cup games etc) consisting of the league, the two domestic cups and the European Cup / UEFA Cup.
The PSG boss can even go one better and claim a quintuple on the basis of his side’s Trophée des Champions victory over Rennes, matching Celtic’s feat in 1967 when the Scottish side added the Glasgow Cup to their four-trophy haul of major titles.