|
Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc has said his "bags are always packed" amid speculation that his position could be under threat. - Johnson: Aurier deal a smart move by PSG Antonio Conte, who resigned from Juventus last week, has been mooted in some Italian reports as a potential replacement for Blanc, 48, who guided PSG to the Ligue 1 title with a record points tally in his first season in charge. Blanc later signed an improved contract, and Conte himself has dismissed speculation that he could move to the French capital. Although PSG's Qatari owners have stressed that they are happy with the job Blanc is doing, the former Bordeaux and France coach is under no illusions about the precariousness of his profession. "I have my bags packed," RMC quoted him as saying. "In this job, you have to have them like that all the time. We know what this job is. Sometimes, you don't even have time to unpack your cases before you need them again. They are always ready in the garage." Blanc's PSG squad has been boosted by the arrivals of David Luiz and Serge Aurier, and on Friday he takes the players on tour Asia ahead of their meeting with Coupe de France winners Guingamp in the Trophee des Champions in Beijing on Aug. 2. While a number of the squad's World Cup participants have returned, Luiz and Brazil colleague Thiago Silva, likely to form Blanc's first-choice defensive partnership next season, remain on leave. World Cup hosts Brazil were hammered 7-1 in the semifinals by Germany and then lost the third-place playoff 3-0 to Netherlands, but Blanc warned Silva and Luiz that they could not feel sorry for themselves. "They failed to achieve their objective, but you have to move on," he said. "In life, you don't achieve all your objectives. You can't do anything now -- the World Cup is over. "You're disappointed, but you move on. This is when you have to be strong and set yourself new goals with your club, which can serve as a breath of fresh air. Great players are able to do that. It can be an additional source of motivation."
|
