PSG provide home comfort for Ibrahimovic
Laurent Blanc says success with Paris Saint-Germain will help Zlatan Ibrahimovic get over World Cup playoff exit.
Club success will help Zlatan Ibrahimovic overcome the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup, his Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc said on Thursday.
Ibrahimovic’s Sweden team were beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in a playoff tie on Tuesday, meaning the striker only has club titles to fight for this season.
At 32, he also may not get the chance to play in another World Cup, which is also a tournament in which he has never scored.
“His demeanour and his state of mind are good,” Blanc told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Stade Reims, where Ligue 1 leaders PSG will look to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 34 games.
“I found him well, I talked to him yesterday. He told me they were up against a very good Portugal team. Of course there is disappointment,” the 1998 World Cup winner added.
PSG are the hot favourites to retain their Ligue 1 title as they lead second-placed Lille by four points after 13 games with third-placed Monaco five points off the pace.
They also look set to make it through the group phase of the Champions League and need only one point from their last two games to reach the last 16.
Their next fixture in that competition is against Olympiakos at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
“We need to make sure we reach our club’s objectives and he will be happy,” said Blanc.
“It will soothe the disappointment of not going to Brazil. He is disappointed but he has a good state of mind and he will prove it on Saturday.”