Wednesday, 26th June, 2013
Laurent Blanc was appointed to the Paris Saint-Germain dugout at the end of a long list of other candidates, and for winger Jeremy Menez, that remains a sticking point.
A two-year contract will see Blanc take over PSG duties from Carlo Ancelotti, this after several high-profile names – including Fabio Capello – had rejected the short-term nature of the contract.
And Menez, who played 16 times for France under the former Bordeaux coach, has chosen to accept the appointment, despite Blanc not being his first choice.
The 26-year-old told L’Equipe: "Capello is a technician who has worked for a long time, while Blanc is a young coach.
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"He won the title with Bordeaux and, as they say, his balance sheet with the France team was positive.
"For me, he was not the default choice [but] this is good news for Paris and France because he is French."
Ancelotti’s reign at the Parc des Princes ended on a high, with the club achieving their first title in 19 years, and Menez hopes Blanc can herald a new era for PSG.
Competition will be intense next season, especially given the rise of Monaco and their summer spending spree, but Menez remains positive.
The forward, who only managed five goals in 30 league games, has been subject to transfer interest, especially from Liverpool and Juventus, but was coy over talk that he might leave PSG.
"Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo are intelligent people", he added.
"They know where they want to go. The departure of Ancelotti saddened everyone, but now we are taking a new direction.
"As of today, I do not know if I want to continue [with PSG] or not. I’m waiting to see if the leaders are really counting on me."
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