Assistant coach (1999–2009) From 1999 to 2004, Galtier was assistant coach at Marseille,
Aris and
Bastia. From 2004 to 2009, he worked as
Alain Perrin's assistant coach at
Al Ain,
Portsmouth,
Sochaux,
Lyon and
Saint-Étienne (ASSE).
Saint-Étienne in 2014 In December 2009, Galtier was appointed the head coach of Saint-Étienne, with ASSE in danger of relegation following the departure of
Alain Perrin. In his first season, Galtier successfully guided ASSE to safety, finishing in 17th place. ASSE finished in the top 10 of Ligue 1 in the seven consecutive seasons of Galtier's tenure, with 4 of those seasons ending in a European place. In 2013, ASSE defeated Rennes to win the
Coupe de la Ligue, their first trophy in 32 years. His European debut as a head coach is a 3–0 home win over Moldovan club
Milsami Orhei in the
2013–14 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase on 1 August 2013. On 9 May 2017, Galtier announced he would be leaving Saint-Étienne at the end of the season upon the expiration of his contract. At that moment he was the longest serving
Ligue 1 manager still active, having taken the reins for eight years. On 20 May 2017, he left the club after 361 games, including 147 wins, as Saint-Étienne head coach.
Lille in 2019 On 22 December 2017, Galtier became the new manager of
Lille, who were at the 18th place in the league. However, they eventually avoided relegation places by one point in the
2017–18 season. In the
2018–19 season, he led Lille to finish second and qualify for the
next Champions League season, after a seven-year absence. During the
2020–21 season, Galtier guided Lille to their first Ligue 1 title in 10 years and the fourth in club history. Galtier was praised by many pundits over the course of the season for both his tactics and his ability to develop young talent including
Jonathan David,
Renato Sanches, and
Mike Maignan. For his efforts, Galtier was named the
Ligue 1 Manager of the Year for a third time.
Nice On 28 June 2021, Galtier was appointed as the new head coach of fellow Ligue 1 club
Nice. In his first season, he led the team to a fifth-place finish and a
Coupe de France final, where they lost 1–0 to
Nantes. Nice qualified for the
UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round as a result. He left Nice on 27 June 2022, being replaced by
Lucien Favre.
Paris Saint-Germain On 5 July 2022, Galtier agreed a two-year deal to become the manager of Ligue 1 champions
Paris Saint-Germain, replacing
Mauricio Pochettino. In his first
transfer window, he oversaw the arrivals of
Hugo Ekitike,
Nordi Mukiele,
Fabián Ruiz,
Renato Sanches,
Carlos Soler, and
Vitinha. During his spell at PSG, Galtier won the Ligue 1 and
Trophée des Champions.
Al-Duhail On 12 October 2023, Galtier became head coach of
Qatar Stars League club
Al-Duhail. On May 27 2025, Galtier left the club after they decided not to renew his contract after Al-Duhail side finished second in the league, two points behind
Al-Sadd, who beat them in the
Qatar Cup final on penalties. They also exited the
Emir Cup early.
Neom On 5 July 2025, Gaultier was appointed as a new manager for the newly-promoted
Saudi Pro League club
Neom. ==Personal life==