PARIS (AFP)
Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti knows that only first
place will do as he prepares for his first full season in charge
of the Ligue 1 giants.
PSG finished second behind Montpellier last season, despite lying
top of the table when Italian Ancelotti was appointed midway
through the campaign.
As the capital club's mega-rich Qatari owners are prepared to
invest huge sums in the transfer market once again, PSG are
likely to have by far the strongest squad in the French game by
the time the Ligue 1 season starts on August 10.
With that in mind, Ancelotti is aiming high, although he insists
that his side will not have it easy.
"We came second last season so naturally the objective is to
finish in first place," he said at a press conference at PSG's
Camp des Loges training base in the western suburbs of Paris.
"It will be a competitive championship. We also have the
Champions League to look forward to and it may be that we treat
that with the same level of importance as the league itself.
"But it will be easier to win the Ligue 1 title than the
Champions League."
PSG will go straight into the Champions League group stages for
what will be their first appearance in Europe's top club
competition since 2004/05, when they finished last in a group
containing Porto, Chelsea and CSKA Moscow.
As they chase success on multiple fronts, PSG completed their
first signing of the summer on Monday in the shape of Argentine
international attacker Ezequiel Lavezzi.
The 27-year-old joined from Napoli on a four-year deal for a fee
believed to be in the region of 30 million euros ($38m).
"He is a top player, a very good attacker, very lively," said
Ancelotti of Lavezzi.
"He has experience and will bring quality to the squad and extra
competition for places. He will be a major player for us this
season."
Paris begin their season at home to Lorient on August 11, and one
man who looks set to miss that game is midfielder Thiago Motta,
who suffered a hamstring injury playing for Italy against Spain
in the Euro 2012 final.
"He suffered a dangerous injury to the back of his thigh. I think
he will be unable to train for at least a month," added
Ancelotti.
