Frenchman set for PSG role
Former France national coach Laurent Blanc is said to be on the verge of signing a two-year deal to take over at Paris Saint-Germain, thus allowing Carlo Ancelotti to finally move on to Real Madrid.
A host of names have been linked to the PSG post since it became abundantly clear that current incumbent Ancelotti was desperate to accept the challenge at the Bernebéu. André Villas-Boas and Fabio Capello were both favourites for the job recently, but AVB is committed to the project at Spurs and Don Fabio reportedly feels he'd simply be warming the seat at the Parc des Princes for somebody else, namely Wenger of Arsenal. It's been an ongoing saga for weeks now, but finally the Parisians seem ready to show their hand.
Laurent Blanc has a envious record from his previous experience of Ligue 1 with Girondins Bordeaux. Having given up a glittering playing career at the age of 37, the elegant centre-back waited four years before taking on his first top-flight coaching appointment in the south-west of France. Blanc impressed with his leadership qualities, leading Bordeaux to second place in the league and sweeping up the Manager of the Year award in his first year. He followed that up with an even better second campaign in which his side clinched a double in the form of the title and League Cup.
The national side came calling for his services shortly afterwards in 2010 after an awful World Cup tournament in South Africa. Numerous disciplinary issues arose during the competition and Blanc set his stall out by taking the extraordinary decision to suspend all 23 World Cup squad players from his first match in charge. The former Barcelona and Manchester United defender was in no mood to tolerate egotistical behaviour from his mutinous bunch and made an early statement of intent by banning them all from the national side.
His strict approach paid dividends initially when helping the French qualify for Euro 2012. However, a less than glorious tournament unfolded and Les Bleus were dumped out of the competition at the quarter-final stage by eventual champions Spain. Blanc stepped down from his role that summer and a year on it looks likely that he will step back into club management at the highest level.
With a playing career encompassing clubs that read like a who's who of European football and a successful coaching career thus far behind him, Blanc would be a sound appointment for the PSG hierarchy at this stage of their progression. The ambitious club have the French league title in the bag and now European success is high on the agenda.
Laurent Blanc proved he can find a diamond in the rough at Bordeaux, but the test will be markedly different in Paris. He will be presented with a team full of superstars (and with more on the way) who he'll need to cajole and mould into a bonded unit.
Blanc's experiences with the 'big-time Charlie's' of the national side will stand him in good stead when facing up to the prospect of handling the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. If he gets the players singing from the same hymn sheet, then he certainly has the talent and financial muscle at his disposal to deliver Champions League glory to Paris and thereby fight off any pretenders to the throne at PSG in the near future.
Find me at facebook.com/DLWSports
Follow me on Twitter @davewh1980
No comments:
Post a Comment