Zlatan Ibrahimovic To Leave Paris St-Germain

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will leave Paris St-Germain at the end of the season.

The 34-year-old Sweden striker’s contract with the French champions expires in the summer, and he has been linked with Manchester United, Los Angeles Galaxy and AC Milan.

“I am very proud,” he said. “I came like a king, I leave like a legend but I will be back.”

PSG said Ibrahimovic leaves as “the greatest striker and one of the very best players in the club’s history”.

Ibrahimovic is the club’s record goalscorer despite only joining the club in 2012, his 152 goals coming in 178 appearances.

PSG have won Ligue 1 in every season Ibrahimovic has been at the club, wrapping up the title this season with two months to spare.

“I loved every day I spent here,” said Ibrahimovic, who has won league titles with six different clubs. “Paris St-Germain has become a star club in the world and I played a key role moving it forward. It is now the right time for me to take a different path.”

PSG host Nantes in Ligue 1 on Saturday before meeting Marseille in the French Cup final on 21 May.

An agreement is in place for Ibrahimovic to return to the club at the end of his playing career, with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi saying he is “looking forward to the prospect of working with him again”.

Ibrahimovic finished as top scorer in France in 2012-13 and 2013-14, and leads Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette by 15 goals this season.

He has also been included in the Ligue 1 team of the year in all of his four seasons in France.

BBC

Zlatan Ibrahimovic To Leave Paris St-Germain

Paris Attacks Still In Players" Thoughts

France manager Didier Deschamps says the Paris attacks are still on his players’ minds as they prepare to return to the Stade de France.

November’s attacks across the French capital killed 130 people, with three suicide bombers dying in blasts outside the stadium as France played Germany.

The Euro 2016 hosts play their first home match since the incident when they meet Russia on Tuesday.

“You don’t forget, but you have to move forward,” said Deschamps.

France captain Hugo Lloris added: “It’s important to return to the Stade de France to find our point of reference and confidence.”

Security at the national stadium will also be on high alert following last week’s Brussels attacks which left 35 dead.

“We have to have confidence in the security officials,” said Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris.

“We have to continue to live and to live our passion together, it’s important.”

Deschamps will watch his team in action for the final time before naming his 23-man Euro 2016 squad.

“We’ve only had friendlies for the past two years, but I’ve repeated to all the players, it is up to them to seize their chances and to give their all for themselves and the team,” said France’s 1998 World Cup-winning captain.

“They have nothing to lose and everything to win.”

France have been drawn alongside Romania, Albania and Switzerland in Group A. Russia are in Group B with England, Wales and Slovakia.

Credit: BBC

 

 

Paris Attacks Still In Players" Thoughts

Ninth Person Arrested Over Paris Attacks

Brussels police have arrested a man in connection with the Nov. 13 militant attacks in Paris which killed 130 people, federal prosecutors said on Thursday, bringing the total number of arrests in Belgium to nine.

 

 

The man was arrested earlier this week but prosecutors kept it quiet in order not to alert potential accomplices, a spokesman for federal prosecutors said. More details will be released later on Thursday, he said.

 

 

Belgian newspaper DH reported that the man arrested had been contacted by Hasna Ait Boulahcen, who gave shelter to the presumed ringleader of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Boulahcen and Abaaoud were both killed in a police raid days after the attacks.

 

Ninth Person Arrested Over Paris Attacks