Dissatisfied with PSG’s lack of commitment during the home defeat against Lorient on Sunday (1-3, 33rd day of Ligue 1), Christophe Galtier felt that it was useless to “work mentally”. An admission of helplessness in view of his various outings and positions since his arrival in the capital.
The sentence sounds like a terrible disavowal. Asked about the state of mind of his men after the defeat of PSG at the Parc des Princes against Lorient on Sunday (1-3, 33rd day of Ligue 1), Christophe Galtier believes that his team has dropped in the head. “Of course it’s something we need to talk about. There’s nothing to work on mentally,” said the Parisian technician at a press conference, looking defeated and disillusioned.
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Facing the Merlus, the PSG coach saw shortcomings in terms of commitment. “When you don’t win your duels in a match, regardless of the level, either you are beaten on an athletic level or on a mental level. This afternoon, I think we let go on a mental level”, he said again sorry.
The mind, one of Galtier’s priorities throughout the season
With the elimination from the knockout stages of the Champions League against Bayern Munich, the exit from the track in the Coupe de France against OM, the long injuries of certain executives (Neymar, Kimpembe) or even a season truncated by the World Cup, the reasons for letting go in the head can be many. Whatever the cause of this failure, the report is drawn up by Galtier. And it can be perceived as a failure as the Parisian coach has made this constant involvement one of his priorities throughout the season.
Seeing Galtier surrender by ensuring that the mind does not work is all the more striking as the former Nice and Stéphanois has regularly emphasized this aspect since taking office on the Camp des Loges side. On February 10, two days after the elimination against Marseille in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, he had also sent the message to his players: “We have failed in the mental commitment. For the moment, you don’t find that aggressiveness. The players have to make a big effort on the mental aspect to win a lot more duels in the middle.”
At the very beginning of the season, on the occasion of the “Demain le Sport” festival, Galtier had already spoken on the subject of mental preparation. “Would I go for that? I can’t answer you, replied the technician to the question of whether he intended to seek outside help to manage the mental approach of the meetings. It must be accepted and validated by everyone. It’s not the coach who imposes that. If the environment and the team refuse that, we are bound to fail.”
A psychologist for a time considered by the Parisian management last summer
Galtier was therefore certain in September: imposing such work on players without their consent would be counterproductive. Is this why PSG did not hire a psychologist last summer? In order to better prepare its players on a mental level and to avoid new big disappointments, with in particular the memories of eliminations in the Champions League in mind, the Parisian management had for a time considered setting up the work of a psychologist during of the last offseason. The project ultimately did not succeed and, to sweep away this rumour, PSG had brought in a nutritionist. Luis Campos, the club’s football adviser, addresses this mental aspect during individual interviews with the players. It was also considered a little later a work of “team building”, a method to strengthen the bonds of a group through collective activities. This idea was also discarded.
Galtier, a pioneer in the field
Several months later, Galtier appears completely helpless, he who has nevertheless acted as an exception in this area. As pointed out The Team in February, he was for a long time one of the few to assume having recourse to mental trainers. During his time on the bench of Saint-Etienne (2009-2017), Galtier had called in particular – on a personal basis – to Pier Gauthier, mental trainer and former professional tennis player. “Not to discover myself but to have techniques, certain keys”, detailed Galtier in 2021 in the podcast bench hell about this collaboration.
Except that the Parisian context is very different from what Galtier experienced in Saint-Etienne. With this PSG and its galaxy of stars, a central question arises very quickly: is it possible to impose mental coaching on such referenced players? Contacted by RMC Sport last February, just before the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, Pier Gauthier answered with another question. “Can we afford at such a level not to dare to explore all the avenues? It should not be imposed. But that it is not offered to him, it’s quite crazy. And yet, it is the reality, confided to us the mental trainer. I worked with him in Saint-Etienne, I think that he considers that there is a need. I do not think that a trainer has time to take care of of that with all the players in his team. I don’t see how he can do it alone. He needs help from his staff.” This is not the choice that was made by the capital club.