Friday, 21st June, 2013

Fabio Capello’s apparent snub towards the Paris Saint-Germain managerial vacancy has not deterred the Ligue 1 champions, who have trained their sights on former France coach Laurent Blanc, according to L’Equipe.

Blanc, who led France to the quarter-finals of Euro 2012, has been out of work since leaving in June last year and has been sounded out for the PSG job less than 24 hours after negotiations with Capello reached an impasse.



Capello had been the most likely name for the potential vacancy left by current boss Carlo Ancelotti, but a meeting between the Russia coach’s son and PSG sporting director Leonardo has not yielded a result.

And it is understood that Leonardo, who himself faces a nine-month ban for pushing a referee, was in talks with Blanc’s agent Jean-Pierre Bernes yesterday over a possible move for the 47-year-old.

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While no agreement is in place yet, PSG are hopeful Blanc will find the foundations at the Parc des Princes well in place, including news that assistant coach Claude Makelele had signed an extension until 2015.

With just 10 days to go until pre-season training at PSG, the club’s Qatari owners are in a veritable frenzy over the managerial appointment, especially as the impact could be felt in Spain.

It is understood that Ancelotti’s desire to move to Real Madrid will only see the light of day if PSG can find his replacement, even if Los Blancos are already preparing the red carpet for a 3rd July unveiling.

Blanc’s stellar career as a player saw him bow out of the game with a league-winning stint at Manchester United, a feat only bettered by his World Cup and European Championship wins with France.

His travels across Europe saw him pick up cup wins with Barcelona, Montpellier and Auxerre, in addition to a Ligue 1 title with the latter in 1996, while he also turned out for a Serie A season with Inter Milan in 1999.

Bordeaux proved a happy hunting ground for his managerial skills, as the club beat off competition from Marseille to clinch the Ligue 1 title in just his second season in charge.

The responsibility for France, however, did not go as planned as the former world champions exited at the quarter-finals stage in Poland and the Ukraine – albeit to eventual winners Spain – and he promptly stepped down.

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