Paris Saint-Germain have appointed former Barcelona and Spain boss Luis Enrique as coach after parting ways with Christophe Galtier, the French champions said on Wednesday.
Enrique, 53, signed a two-year contract at PSG and will be tasked with helping the club win the Champions League at last for the ambitious Qatari-owned club.
The announcement came at a news conference which was delayed by several hours.
"I have no doubt that we will have a great team," he said.
"I'm delighted to be joining Paris in order to enjoy a new experience. It's so exciting to meet new people, to live in this city, to learn a new language and, above all, to manage PSG."
He will have to do so without Lionel Messi, who has left for Inter Miami after the expiration of his contract, which makes the presence of their star forward Kylian Mbappe even more important. The France striker is continually linked with Real Madrid.
Enrique has been out of coaching since resigning from the Spain team after last year's World Cup last-16 exit against Morocco.
He was among several PSG candidates who also included former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Enrique led Barca to the treble in 2015, plus the European Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies that year. He won another La Liga title with them in 2016, and also has two more Copa del Rey titles with the Catalans.
He then led the national team to the semi-finals of the Euros in 2021 and had two stints in charge of Spain since 2018, interrupted by the illness and subsequent death of his young daughter.
Prior to his Barca days, the 1992 Olympic champion as a player also coached Roma and Celta Vigo.
Former Lille and Nice boss Galtier had a PSG contract until 2024 but only lasted one season.
He managed to win Ligue 1 for a record 11th time despite PSG's form dipping after the World Cup but missed out on a first Champions League title again in a last-16 exit against Bayern Munich. Galtier's side also went out in the last 16 of the French Cup against Olympique Marseille.
"At the end of the 2022-2023 season, Paris Saint-Germain informed Christophe Galtier of its decision to terminate his contract as first-team coach," PSG said.
"The Club would like to pay tribute to his professionalism and commitment, which helped the Rouge et Bleu win a historic eleventh French Championship title and a Trophée des Champions."
