Ancelotti could yet ignore Real Madrid to continue PSG project

The last few weeks have been marred by speculation surrounding the future of the coach and by on-field disciplinary problems, but Paris Saint-Germain finally won the Ligue 1 title on Sunday and there is no doubt that they are worthy champions.

PSG today claimed they had rejected a bid by Real Madrid to hire coach Carlo Ancelotti as the Spanish champions apparently seek to try and replace the departing Jose Mourinho, but all this speculation should not be allowed to undermine what has been such a poignant season in the French capital.

Ancelotti's side had stumbled once with the finish line in sight, only managing a 1-1 draw at home against Valenciennes last weekend when nerves got the better of them. But they did finally finish the job on Sunday thanks to a deserved 1-0 win in Lyon. A Jérémy Menez goal early in the second half gave them the three points they needed to end any chance, however remote, of Marseille pipping them at the post.

Security fears meant only a tiny number of PSG fans were allowed into the Stade de Gerland, but even the many thousands who were unable to attend were delighted to see their team win the title at the home of the club that won seven consecutive championships in the last decade.

When Olympique Lyon won the last of those titles in 2008, PSG only avoided relegation on the final day of the season. Since then, the club has been utterly transformed, and now they have won the third championship in their history, their first since 1994.

There has been a lot of criticism directed PSG's way this season, and much of it has been merited. Ancelotti's team have not always played to their full potential in the league but this is still a formidable unit, based around an outstanding defence and a frightening ability to punish opponents on the counter-attack.

With two games still to play, Paris have conceded just 21 goals in Ligue 1 and have kept 23 clean sheets, a new record for the French top flight. They have scored more goals than the rest too. They are on course to beat the points tally they set last season.

The individual quality available to Ancelotti has been recognised in the list of nominations for the end-of-season awards. Three of the four names on the shortlist for Ligue 1's Player of the Year prize belong to PSG, with 27-goal Zlatan Ibrahimovic, captain Thiago Silva and midfielder Blaise Matuidi joining Saint-Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Salvatore Sirigu is likely to win the Goalkeeper of the Year prize while Marco Verratti is a contender for Young Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Ancelotti himself has been nominated for Coach of the Year.

Of course, there should not really be any competition. At €300 million (£254m) PSG have a far greater budget than anyone else in Ligue 1, and double that of Lyon, who have had the second-largest budget this season at around €145 million.

"Never has a French league title come at such a price for the owner of a club," wrote sports daily L'Equipe, remembering that Qatar Sports Investments have spent more money in the transfer market than any other European club since buying a controlling stake at the Parc des Princes in June 2011.

Lyon used to dominate, but their impotence against the sturdiness of PSG was all too evident on Sunday. When OL were chasing the game in the second half, coach Rémi Garde turned to his bench and sent on 17-year-old Anthony Martial for just his third top-team appearance before handing a debut to 18-year-old Fares Bahlouhli. Lyon simply cannot compete.

None of that will matter too much to PSG fans. Their team are the sixth different Ligue 1 champions in six seasons but PSG now seem certain to start a long era of dominance domestically. "From now on, it will be a failure for us if we don't win the title," admitted Matuidi, while Ibrahimovic declared: "The future belongs to us."

"We showed that we deserve to be champions," said Ancelotti, who follows in the footsteps of Gérard Houllier and Artur Jorge in leading PSG to the title. Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic dedicated the title win to Nick Broad, the English member of Ancelotti's backroom staff who was tragically killed in a road accident in January.

Days after Broad's death, PSG went to Bordeaux for a game that they didn't want to play. They won 1-0 to go back to the top of the table and they have been there ever since.

Now, rather than fret over Ancelotti's future at the club. It is not outlandish to suggest the former Milan coach could yet stay to build on his success at PSG, as the club's president Nasser al Khelaifi today suggested.

It is is time to celebrate their achievement, as fans gather at the Place du Trocadéro, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, to see their heroes raise aloft Hexagoal, the silver shield given to the champions.

Read more »

Where can Rooney go next?

Where Wayne Rooney wants to go and who actually wants him are not the same thing - despite the England striker's global profile and 214 career goals, the world is not quite his oyster.

A combination of huge wages, a poor 2012/13 season and over 10 years of wear and tear make him a gamble for potential buyers.

So where will he end up?

Bayern Munich - 5/4

The Bavarians have been installed as short-priced favourites as incoming manager Pep Guardiola looks to spruce up his strikeforce. Rooney would certainly represent a major coup, but with Mario Goetze already signed and Robert Lewandowski likely to follow, is there really room at the Allianz Arena?

Chelsea - 11/4

Although Rafa Benitez has revived Fernando Torres's form somewhat, Chelsea still look short of a striker. And in Rooney they have a player who can hit the ground running alongside several England team-mates. Chelsea can afford him, too - but would Rooney really want to burn his bridges with the United fans?

Paris Saint-Germain - 4/1

The newly-crowned Ligue 1 champions are emerging as a serious force. And if their Qatari owners want to make a statement, who better than Rooney who is a big deal across La Manche. While we can't exactly see Rooney speaking French, Paris is only a short hop from home and he might have David Beckham for company.

Real Madrid 20/1

Now we're starting to get into the long shots. Real showed interest early in Rooney's career and want to revamp their attack after a poor season for Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain. But it will all depend on the new man in the dugout in the highly likely event of Jose Mourinho's departure.

Manchester City 25/1

City were hot favourites when Rooney slapped in his first transfer request in 2010 but are among the outsiders now. Although they could do with a forward following Mario Balotelli's departure, Rooney could hardly expect star billing with Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez for company.

Arsenal 33/1

It might have made the back page of a tabloid, but this seems a stratospherically unlikely move. Buying massively-hyped Englishmen with thousands of miles on the clock is the precise opposite of Arsene Wenger's usual policy. So unless the Frenchman leaves the Emirates, this is simply not going to happen.

Barcelona 33/1

He doesn't exactly have the body shape for tiki-taka, but Rooney's skills could conceivably make him a decent fit at the Camp Nou. Nonetheless, he would stick out like a big white sore thumb in Barca's team of petite Latin maestros.

Galatasaray 33/1

They've got money and ambition, as seen by the signings of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder. Could they land Rooney? In another couple of years, perhaps, but all the kebabs in Istanbul wouldn't land him aged 27, when he is supposedly at the peak of his powers.

Manchester United 7/4

It could well be that Rooney, having surveyed all the options, returns home to his trophy cabinet, looks at his five Premier League and one Champions League winners medals, and decides that there are worse things than being a bit less good than Robin van Persie.

Read more »

Mancini to join Ferguson in leaving Manchester

Monday's back pages all share one common theme: both Manchester clubs will have new managers within the space of a few weeks.

 

"It's goodbye from me... and it's goodbye from him" is the back page lead in The Guardian, with outgoing Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in tears, and Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini looking anguished.

The Daily Mirror has a similar back page splash beneath the headline "Goodbye to Manchester", while The Times's headline is "Ferguson's tears, Mancini's fears".

Every single paper reports that Mancini will be fired this week, with Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini being lined up to replace him.

Despite the ubiquity of the story The Sun still tries to claim it as an exclusive - though their claim to have Mancini's reaction to being "knifed in the back" is at least unique.

"It is the sly way it has been done which has left him feeling bitter," the paper claims, saying that Mancini was given the news on Sunday afternoon, and that it came as a huge shock following a cordial dinner with club chiefs the night before the FA Cup final.

"It was not until mid-afternoon yesterday Mancini found out his fate second hand," the paper reports.

"And even then nobody from the club had contacted him face to face to either confirm or deny speculation. Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain have secretly been negotiating with Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini behind Mancini’s back for weeks.

"Meanwhile, Mancini had been dealing with the pair over transfer targets for next season and believed he had their full support. He was also convinced Al Mubarak was fully behind him.

"A source close to Mancini said: 'All the dealings Roberto has had with Al Mubarak and Begiristain were positive. He believed unless they were playing the most divisive game then he was their manager for the long term. There is a real feeling he has been knifed in the back.'"

The Times reports that, "Mancini could be dismissed as early as today with no guarantee that he will still be in charge for City’s Barclays Premier League match away to Reading tomorrow night."

The Mirror, meanwhile, claims Mancini will get a year's wages as a pay-off, and reports that successor-in-waiting Pellegrini will meet City bosses on Thursday to negotiate the last few elements of the deal.

It is worth pointing out that Pellegrini has this morning denied that there is any agreement with City - but last time all the papers were this unanimous on this big a story, they were proven right within hours. That was just last week when news of Alex Ferguson's impending retirement broke the night before the club confirmed the news.

As to why Mancini is going? The Mirror claims that there is literally nobody left who wants him to stay: "City chiefs have concluded Mancini does not have what it takes to advance the club in Europe and that a change of manager is needed if they are to make a serious assault on the Champions League. The players are also unhappy at his man-management and the 48-year old will be given his marching orders once a severance package can be agreed."

Pellegrini will be a snap for City considering his £2m release clause, the Mirror adds, and the Premier League runners-up, "will move for the Chilean with the minimum of fuss and ensure he is in position for the club’s pre-season tour of South Africa and the Far East."

Read more »