UEFA Champions League update: PSG manager Laurent Blanc slams English team prior to game

Paris Saint-Germain manager Laurent BlancWikimedia Commons, courtesy of Julien Manceau

With the UEFA Champions League match between the Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City teams coming up, PSG manager Laurent Blanc has spoken up regarding the challenges their team faces ahead, simultaneously slamming City's team while acknowledging that they will pose several difficult games against them.

According to the UEFA official website, Blanc stated that the City team has "more quality" than theirs, hinting at the level of experience and depth of skill that the Manchester City players have had overall since the 1970s. He also reminisced good times when he was a player for the Manchester City.

However, despite praising the opponent for their quality, he also pointed out that City does not pose a big threat. In a report from the Daily Mail, Blanc has been quoted to state that while Paris has a slight disadvantage given their division's lack of competition, City has yet to make a dominant presence in the UEFA Champions League.

"Maybe it's the case but where are the English clubs in the last four of the Champions League recently?" Blanc asked when confronted with the PSG's disadvantage. "The English league is more competitive but that does not give their teams a right to be in the last four."

The PSG manager also confirmed that at their home turf the French did need to acquire more football clubs to strengthen the competition. This would level the playing field that the English have and may strenghthen the French team in the future.

Blanc continued to explain that the UEFA Champions League was not all about being intense and powerful. Given that the champions take place in March or April each year, the players are at their all-time high in regards to fatigue and that the key was to find a perfect balance between staying on top of their game while avoiding exhaustion.