Paris St-Germain’s 4-0 surprise win over Barcelona was enough to suggest they might be capable of winning the Champions League.
But there’s something extra that might suggest they can become European champions for the first time.
Former PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a footballer well travelled and bedecked with domestic silverware, has never won the competition – but some of the teams he’s left, have done.
Zlatan leaves Inter. They win the UCL nest year.
Zlatan leaves Barca. They win the UCL next year.
Zlatan leaves PSG. pic.twitter.com/EZpVSPk6HF— BigSport (@BigSportGB) February 15, 2017
Both Barcelona and Inter Milan benefited from selling the Swedish football legend, in so far as they both won the Champions League immediately after he left.Ibra was technically a Barca player when they won the competition in 2011, but had been loaned to AC Milan, while the 35-year-old left Inter the summer before they claimed a historic treble in 2010.So could PSG become the third team to win the competition having sold the striker? Perhaps. Edinson Cavani is doing his best to make sure his team don’t miss the Manchester United man.
Edinson Cavani has now scored 115 goals for PSG; only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (156) has scored more in the club’s 47-year history. pic.twitter.com/RxznANMMeN
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 14, 2017
And as good a player as Zlatan is, it’s hard to imagine the French side could have played in that fashion with him in the team.
Let's be brutally honest – Would this result have happened the way PSG played under Laurent Blanc with Zlatan Ibrahimovic? #PSGFCB #UCL
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) February 14, 2017
That said, is PSG’s ability to thrash one of Europe’s best teams a result of having had Zlatan in the side for so long?
I think Verratti playing with Ibra will really benefit him long term- he has that edge from Zlatan but he's also shown how clutch he is
— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) February 15, 2017
A legacy for Zlatan? Let’s see if PSG can win the tournament first, shall we?