Blanc given task of replacing Ancelotti at PSG
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
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Laurent Blanc is Carlo Ancelotti's successor at Paris Saint-Germain FC, charged with "continuing the club's ascendency towards the summit of the European game".
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Paris Saint-Germain FC have turned to former France coach Laurent Blanc following Carlo Ancelotti's departure for Real Madrid CF.
Ancelotti was unveiled as the man to replace José Mourinho in the Spanish capital on Tuesday lunchtime. PSG did not take long to confirm their own successor, securing the services of Blanc on a two-year deal. The ex-FC Girondins de Bordeaux boss will assume the reins on 1 July.
"The Paris Saint-Germain board has given Laurent Blanc the mission to build on last season and to continue the club's ascendency towards the summit of the European game," read a club statement. PSG won their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years last term and also reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, where they lost out to FC Barcelona.
Blanc enjoyed a decorated playing career before taking to the dugout, winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000 with his country. He represented an illustrious band of clubs including FC Barcelona, Manchester United FC and FC Internazionale Milano, winning top-flight championships in England and France.
The 47-year-old enjoyed further success as a coach, steering Bordeaux to the Ligue 1 title in 2009. He subsequently took over the France national team and guided them to the last eight of UEFA EURO 2012. Blanc's new club will go straight into the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League group stage.
