Champions League: Fear of Paris St-Germain rising

Michael Lintorn
19 July 2012

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's presentation was staged by the Eiffel Tower

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic's arrival is a game-changer, establishing Paris St-Germain as one of the eight Champions League frontrunners...

"The captivating Swede is 30 but there is no sign of his powers fading. Last season was the most impressive of his entire career."

The soundbites greeting Zlatan Ibrahimovic's move to Paris have been inspired, from Ibra's "I don't know much about Ligue 1 but they know who I am" to agent Mino Raiola's "now I think the people in Paris will have something else to see besides the Mona Lisa".

The hype surrounding his transfer from AC Milan just days after Thiago Silva trod the same path was heightened by an indulgent unveiling in front of the Eiffel Tower, however this is a rare occasion where the uncontained excitement is justified.

This is the week which saw Paris St-Germain cement their spot among Europe's elite. Jeremy Menez, Javier Pastore and Ezequiel Lavezzi were all progressive signings, yet this time they have pinched two world-class players off of one of the planet's most established clubs.

A parallel can be drawn to the moment three years ago that Carlos Tevez traded Manchester United to Manchester City, though this is an even louder statement of intent. While Tevez wasn't always a certain starter at Old Trafford, Silva and Ibrahimovic were AC Milan's two most important men.

Silva has cultivated a reputation as the best defender in the world and Ibrahimovic, contrary to the claims of his critics, is a phenomenon, a title winner in eight of the last nine years with five different clubs in three countries.

The captivating Swede is 30 but there is no sign of his powers fading. Last season was the most impressive of his entire career, firing 28 times in Serie A, a league that though not the force of old - partly due to Paris St-Germain's star-nabbing - remains the toughest to score in on the continent.

The one prize evading him, and the one tournament where he is accused of not producing his best form (albeit 2011/12 marked a huge improvement) is the Champions League. Ironically, his arrival has prompted a spectacular transformation in Paris St-Germain's odds to win the competition.

From 48.047/1 at the start of the "summer", Carlo Ancelotti's men have since been backed as low as 17.016/1, while a repeat of last season's domestic failure is judged almost unthinkable at 1.171/6.