Mourinho has the authority that Blanc lacks, says Halilhodzic

You think so too? Or could it just be the issue of dept tactical football knowledge by Blanc?

Former Paris Saint-Germain boss Vahid Halilhodzic says current coach Laurent Blanc does not exude the same air of authority as Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho.

Blanc and Mourinho will pit their wits against one another at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, with PSG set to host the English outfit in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.


The home side will go into the game without five players through injury, with Thiago Motta becoming the latest player to withdraw on the eve of the game, after Lucas Moura, Serge Aurier, Marquinhos and Yohan Cabaye all limped off in Saturday's Ligue 1 draw with Caen.

However, Halilhodzic has intimated that the way in which PSG were left with nine men at the Parc des Princes at the weekend - Blaise Matuidi also picked up a minor knock during the game as the hosts ran out of subs - illustrated a perceived lack of team spirit under Blanc's stewardship.

"Mourinho is the trump card at Chelsea," the Bosnian coach told Vecernji. "He has the authority that Blanc lacks.

"PSG are in difficulty. Players are not as good as they should be, but with strikers like [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Ezequiel] Lavezzi and [Edinson] Cavani, they can still aim for a final.

"But they lack team spirit. I faced Chelsea as PSG coach 10 years ago. We lost 3-0 in London and had a 0-0 draw in Paris.

"I remember in the first half, I was faced with injuries but two of my players fought until the half-time nonetheless ..."

Halilhodzic spent two seasons in charge of PSG, winning the Coupe de France in 2004 before being sacked the following year.