Paris Saint-Germain closed out their season with a 3-1 win at Lorient on Sunday, a result you probably didn’t hear much about. Most people have long moved on from France, Ligue 1’s circuit joining the litany of European league with a runaway winter.
After Sunday’s 38th match day, PSG held a 12-point lead on second place Marseille, the inevitability of their third title managing the remarkable feat of meeting the league’s sanguine preseason expectations. Nobody was expected to keep up with PSG, and that’s exactly what happened.
Against Lorient, Zlatan Ibrahimovic added his 30th goal of the season and PSG had a man sent off late, but the day’s real action came after the game. That’s when the press corps got to speak with PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti, who has been linked with the open job at Real Madrid. Having just completed his first full season in Paris, Ancelotti’s told PSG management he would like to succeed José Mourinho at the Santiago Bernabeu.
To his credit, Ancelotti didn’t deny his desire to move, though he did admit, “I don’t know if it was my last game.” PSG has denied Real Madrid’s request to speak to Ancelotti, ostensibly insistent the Italian see out the last year on his deal.
But thanks to a report earlier in the day from Sky Italia, Ancelotti’s prospective move to the southwest was only part of the drama. Ibrahimovic, according to reports, had told Paris Saint-Germain he wanted to leave should Ancelotti depart. It was a rumor Ancelotti was quick to put to rest.
“Ibrahimovic has not asked to leave the club,” Ancelotti said, going on to tell reporters the Swedish attacker’s future was not linked to his. Coming of indecisive talks on Saturday with club president Nasser Al Khelaifi, the head coach’s future still isn’t clear enough to have hangers-on.
All reason says Ancelotti will end up at Real Madrid by next season, and with PSG’s 2012-13 having just finished, it’s too early to see these types of denials as hold much weight. Ancelotti’s implicitly acknowledged his desire to move. The middling media-speak does little to change that.
The Ibrahimovic news, however, is just denial fighting rumor. Though Sky Italia’s reporting Ibrahimovic might want to move, PSG (through Ancelotti) are saying they know nothing about it.
It’s all the same contradicting paper talk we read every summer. This year, silly season’s off to a quick start.