Credit: Flickr user DohaStadiumPlusQatar
Paris Saint Germain forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic praised Chelsea FC and named them the favorites ahead of his side’s Champions League clash with the Blues tomorrow. Ibrahimovic pointed to Chelsea’s experience in the competition compared to PSG’s as the deciding factor between the clubs.
He claimed that PSG’s relative inexperience gives them an edge because they “have nothing to lose” while Chelsea must deal with the expectations. The Swede also let the world know that PSG would be his last club in Europe which perhaps opens the door for a move across the Atlantic or a final payday in the UAE or other Gulf state.
Ibrahimovic’s comments in full:
"“I think the greatest opportunity for me to win the Champions League is with Paris because this is my last contract in Europe. We are in the quarter-finals and we are up against a great team. We don’t have anything to lose and we are fairly new in this competition, while Chelsea have at least 10 years’ experience. They’ve won the Europa League, the Champions League and are a very good team. Chelsea is a great club. It will be very exciting, but I think Chelsea are the definite favorites.”"
Ibrahimovic was full of praise for his former manager and said that “everyone is special in their own way. As a coach has won everything except the World Cup and the Euros”. The two were together for a single season at Inter Milan where they won the Scudetto but European glory evaded Ibrahimovic with the Serie A club.
The Swede has won the domestic league at nearly every club he has been with but has yet to capture a Champions League crown. PSG has as good of a chance as any club left in the competition because of their world class players and fine manager in Laurent Blanc. Even if PSG fall to Chelsea in the quarterfinals this year, they will surely be contenders for years to come as long as Zlatan is leading the line.
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