PSG Say Merci to Legend Ibrahimovic

Paris St-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has indicated he will leave the French champions this summer. The 34-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season.

On Friday, Ibrahimovic - who has been linked with a move to LA Galaxy - posted on social media: "My last game tomorrow at Parc des Princes. I came like a king, left like a legend."

PSG host Nantes on Saturday, before ending their season by facing Marseille in the French Cup final on 21 May.

Shortly after his tweet, the club posted an image of their top scorer this season along with the message "merci Zlatan."

Ibrahimovic, who will captain Sweden at the European Championship this summer, joined PSG from AC Milan for a reported £15.7m in 2012.

He has since scored 152 goals in 178 appearances for PSG and was top scorer in Ligue 1 in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

The former Barcelona striker is the top goalscorer in France again this season - 15 ahead of Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette.

PSG won the Ligue 1 title with two months to spare and are 28 points clear with one game remaining.

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Ibrahimovic, who has won league titles with six different clubs.

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EURO 2016 Finals Draw

The Republic of Ireland have been drawn in Group E at Euro 2016 against world number one ranked Belgium, Italy and Sweden.

Martin O’Neill’s side will open their campaign against the Swedes at the 80,000 capacity Stade de France on Monday June 13th.

Their second match takes place in Bordeaux on Saturday June 18th when they take on Belgium . Their final group game comes in Lille on Wednesday June 22nd where they take on Italy.

Northern Ireland have been drawn with world champions Germany, Poland and the Ukraine.

Wales have been drawn in England’s group alongside Slovakia and Russia.

Group A

June 10: France v Romania, Stade de France, Paris, 8.0

June 11: Albania v Switzerland, Lens, 2.0

June 15: Romania v Switzerland, Parc des Princes, Paris, 5.0

June 15: France v Albania, Marseille, 8.0

June 19: Romania v Albania, Lyon, 8.0

June 19: France v Switzerland, Lille, 8.0

Group B

June 11: Wales v Slovakia, Bordeaux, 5.0

June 11: England v Russia, Marseille, 8.0

June 15: Russia v Slovakia, Lille, 2.0

June 16: England v Wales, Lens, 2.0

June 20: Russia v Wales, Toulouse, 8.0

June 20: Slovakia v England, St-Etienne, 8.0

Group C

June 12: Poland v Northern Ireland, Nice, 5.0

June 12: Germany v Ukraine, Lille, 8.0

June 16: Ukraine v Northern Ireland, Lyon, 5.0

June 16: Germany v Poland, Stade de France, Paris, 8.0

June 21: Ukraine v Poland, Marseille, 5.0

June 21: Northern Ireland v Germany, Parc des Princes, Paris, 5.0

Group D

June 12: Turkey v Croatia, Parc des Princes, Paris, 2.0

June 13: Spain v Czech Republic, Toulouse, 2.0

June 17: Czech Republic v Croatia, St-Etienne, 5.0

June 17: Spain v Turkey, Nice, 8.0

June 21: Czech Republic v Turkey, Lens, 8.0

June 21: Croatia v Spain, Bordeaux, 8.0

Group E

June 13: Republic of Ireland v Sweden, Stade de France, Paris, 5.0

June 13: Belgium v Italy, Lyon, 8.0

June 17: Italy v Sweden, Toulouse, 2.0

June 18: Belgium v Republic of Ireland, Bordeaux, 2.0

June 22: Italy v Republic of Ireland, Lille, 8.0

June 22: Sweden v Belgium, Nice, 8.0

Group F

June 14: Austria v Hungary, Bordeaux, 5.0

June 14: Portugal v Iceland, St-Etienne, 8.0

June 18: Iceland v Hungary, Marseille, 5.0

June 18: Portugal v Austria, Parc des Princes, Paris, 8.0

June 22: Iceland v Austria, Stade de France, Paris, 5.0

June 22: Hungary v Portugal, Lyon, 5.0

Last 16

June 25 – Match 1: Runner-up Group A v Runner-up C, St-Etienne, 2.0

June 25 – Match 2: Winner D v Third-place B/E/F, Lens, 8.0

June 25 – Match 3: Winner B v Third-place A/C/D, Parc des Princes, Paris, 5.0

June 26 – Match 4: Winner F v Runner-up E, Toulouse, 8.0

June 26 – Match 5: Winner C v Third-place A/B/F, Lille, 5.0

June 27 – Match 6: Winner E v Runner-up D, Stade de France, Paris, 5.0

June 27 – Match 7: Winner A v Third-place C/D/E, Lyon, 2.0

June 27– Match 8: Runner-up B v Runner-up F, Nice, 8.0

Quarter-finals

June 30 –QF1: Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2, Marseille, 8.0

July 1 – QF2: Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4, Lille, 8.0

July 2 – QF 3: Winner Match 5 v Winner Match 6, Bordeaux, 8.0

July 3 – QF4: Winner Match 7 v Winner Match 8, Stade de France, Paris, 8.0

Semi-finals

July 6: Winner QF1 Portugal v Winner QF2, Lyon, 8.0

July 7: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4 , Marseille, 8.0

Final

July 10: Stade de France, Paris, 8.0

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Playing Football will be Hard - Blanc

Paris Saint-Germain’s coach, Laurent Blanc, threatened to walk out of his news conference on Friday when asked another question regarding the psychological state of his players in the wake of last week’s deadly attacks.

Having earlier interrupted one reporter’s question relating to how certain players who lost friends in the carnage might be affected following last Friday’s shootings, Blanc responded angrily soon after when he was asked a similar question.

His voice rising and with a hostile tone, Blanc barked: “We’re not going to talk about this during the whole press conference, because I guarantee you, if you ask me one more question about the context, I’ll leave.”

PSG’s goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu lost two friends in the attacks, which killed 130 people and wounded 350.

Blanc, wearing a club tracksuit and a neck scarf, evoked the killings only briefly at the beginning of his news conference at the club training ground.

“The situation is very particular, more than particular in my opinion, in terms of the context, which we’re not going to back over,” he said. “But also with players coming back from international duty which is also difficult for teams, and especially for teams with a lot of South Americans … it’s always difficult. The players came back in an advanced state of fatigue, due to the journey, the time difference, [this] particular context.”

He continued to talk about the match away at Lorient on Saturday, referring to the club’s plastic playing surface being tough on the joints of aging players.

He was then asked about how certain players such as Sirigu and Javier Pastore were feeling, given that they had lost someone they were close to.

Having interrupted the question as it unfolded with “So what?” he was prompted again. Then, becoming increasingly annoyed, he responded sarcastically.

“Great, great, they were dancing on the table and everything. You’re explaining something to me … you’re explaining to me how they are, and by explaining to me how they are, you’ve given yourself the answer,” Blanc said.

He did answer when asked whether some players needed psychological help.

“It’s not just Paris Saint-Germain players who are affected, it’s all the players. Perhaps even more the foreign players. Why? Because they were very far away from Paris, and the international media showed non-stop images of Paris, very negative, which was the reality,” Blanc said. “They are very hard to erase … so, yes, they are affected, yes, certainly. Some [psychological] work had to be done.”

Blanc has spoken to some players individually. “Everyone is affected. The message we wish to get across, and I don’t think I’m the only one, is that despite everything – the images, the shock, being touched by these events, and although it’s no doubt easier said than done – life goes on. Our job is to play football. Your job [the media] is to ask questions. You’ve come here today. You have your cameras, you film.”

It was when he was pressed again to speak about the state of his players that Blanc threatened to leave, before answering whether any of them did not want to play.

“As of today, no player has knocked on my door and said: ‘Coach, I’m not ready to play.’ I know some of them are very affected, practically everyone is. If you’re not affected by this then it means you must have a slight problem. But, as I said, we have to prepare, we have to play a match … when I say life goes on, I mean our job goes on.”

He backed the French league’s decision not to cancel this weekend’s games.

“It’s going to be hard to play football this weekend, for everyone, but we have to do it,” he said. “It’s our duty to prepare well and to play as well as we can, despite the difficult context.”

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Nacho Books Real Place

Real Madrid booked a place in the last 16 of the Champions League after the first-half substitute Nacho Fernández scored to clinch a 1-0 home win over Paris Saint-Germain.

The 25-year-old defender had been on the pitch for fewer than three minutes when he slotted in from a tight angle against the run of play, after Toni Kroos’s shot was blocked in the 35th minute.

PSG will rue their poor finishing, having missed a series of chances, especially in the first half, and went closest to scoring when Adrien Rabiot’s volley hit a post after 37 minutes.

Real have 10 points from four games in Group A while PSG, who suffered their first defeat this season, are in second place with seven.

There was a disruptive start to the game with players receiving treatment for knocks and PSG lost Marco Verratti after 17 minutes with what appeared to be a twisted ankle and he was replaced by the 20-year-old Rabiot.

It was the visitors who found their feet first with a shot from Blaise Matuidi straight at the goalkeeper Keylor Navas and then Zlatan Ibrahimovic, inside the area, stroked the ball a whisker the wrong side of the right post.

The Real full-back Marcelo then limped off after 33 minutes to add to the home side’s injury problems this season, with Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema among those unfit to face the French champions.

Nacho made an instant impact by knocking the ball home after a Kroos shot deflected to him off Thiago Silva.

Real responded when Rabiot hit a post with a long-range volley and Edinson Cavani miscued with only Navas to beat in first half stoppage time.

After the restart Ángel Di María was also denied by Navas in front of goal but as the game went on Real were able to take the steam out of the contest and held on for the win.

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Madrid Draw Blank at PSG

Real Madrid took a big step towards finishing top of Group A when they held Paris Saint-Germain to a 0-0 draw in the French capital.

The French champions enjoyed most of the possession but took an over-cautious approach and injury-hit Real had the best chances through Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesé in the first half.

The Spanish 10-times European champions stayed top of the group with seven points from three games and lead PSG on goal difference, with the reverse fixture to come in Madrid in two weeks’ time.

Malmo are third on three points after beating Shakhtar Donetsk, who have yet to win a point, 1-0.

Real entered the contest having conceded only two goals in eight La Liga games and none in two matches in Europe and they looked solid throughout. They were without the injured Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and James Rodríguez.

PSG were almost at full strength with their preferred midfield of Blaise Matuidi, Thiago Motta and Marco Verratti and were only missing the centre-back David Luiz through injury.

The hosts imposed their usual possession pattern on the game and had their first clear chance after 11 minutes when Matuidi’s low shot was blocked by Keylor Navas.

Motta anchored the midfield as PSG played neatly although they were too slow up front and Ángel Di María looked clumsy while their striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a night to forget.

In true Rafael Benítez style Real played tight, looking to bring the ball forward as quickly as possible when they had the chance, but PSG were vigilant.

The visitors had a big opportunity in the 25th minute when Kevin Trapp made a fine save from Jesé after he had collected a brilliant through-ball from Toni Kroos.

The German keeper was at it again 10 minutes from the interval, tipping Ronaldo’s header over the bar as Real began to take control. Casemiro forced Trapp into another save with a long-range shot.

PSG were back in possession after the break and Edinson Cavani went close when he latched on to a cross from Motta in the 49th minute.

Lucas came on for Cavani and Di María made way for Javier Pastore as Laurent Blanc looked to spice it up up front shortly before Isco was replaced by Luka Modric for Real Madrid.

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Paris Saint-German v Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain will be spurred on by the memory of their agonising Champions League exits in the last two seasons when they host Barcelona in the first leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday.

The clubs meet at the Parc des Princes with the French champions desperate to make it to the last four after being dumped out of the competition on away goals to Barcelona and Chelsea in the quarter-finals in each of the last two seasons.

It will be the third time that the two sides have met in the competition this season after each recording a win over the other in Group F.

But their 3-2 win against the Catalans in Paris in the group stage, and the character they showed to beat Chelsea on away goals in the last 16, in light of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first-half dismissal, suggests they have what it takes to make the leap forward this time. 

Asked if the thrilling win against the Catalans last September could be used as a reference point, PSG coach Laurent Blanc responded: "It is one of many games we have looked at to prepare this match.

"We have looked at what we need to do and what we need to avoid doing. We can draw lessons from that game, because we won it and are one of the only sides in Europe to have scored three goals against Barcelona.”

Barcelona have won 30 of their last 34 games in all competitions, but a nine-game winning streak came to an end in a 2-2 draw at Sevilla on Saturday.

The result at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium illustrated both the good and the bad of Barca, as they stormed into an early lead before surrendering two points late on.

Having lost in Paris in September, Barcelona claimed revenge, and top spot in Group F, by winning 3-1 at the Camp Nou in December.

Messi, Neymar and Suarez all scored after Ibrahimovic had put the visitors ahead, and now the Parisians must work out how to avoid conceding a potentially crucial away goal against the potent Barcelona front three.

PSG will be without three key players for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.

Already without the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Laurent Blanc has injury concerns over centre-backs Thiago Motta (thigh) and David Luiz (hamstring), while midfield lynchpin Marco Verratti misses the clash through suspension.

Barcelona have no fresh injuries concerns for the trip to Paris, with long term absentees Thomas Vermaelen, Jodri Masip, Douglas and Rafinha all set to miss out.

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