PSG’s project of confusions: Cavani’s imminent arrival marred by Carlo and Leo’s exits

Could Captain Thiago Silva (L) – who has been linked with a move to Barcelona – follow Director of Football, Leonardo (C) and Manager Carlo Ancelotti (R) out of Paris? (Getty Images)

The post of Director of Football has always been a contentious one in England over the years, and the mostly annoying and at times domineering presence of a well suited gentleman in the director’s box has always got the most composed of managers at their nerves wreck at times.

Be it the currently employed Joe Kinnear or Alex Ferguson for that matter, England they say has seen it all. Well, but never in this land has one seen a Director of Football getting a lengthy touchline ban for pushing around a match official.

This was indeed the case with PSG’s top man Leonardo, who after an illustrious career with AC Milan and Inter, ended his time at the French champions PSG due to a dispute over the timeframe of the ban handed for his “push”.

The Brazilian’s arrival on French shores in 2011 had seen the Paris club take the Ligue 1 and much of Europe by storm; well, more specifically the transfer window by storm. Though his first season had seen the now Middle-East owned outfit beaten to the summit eventually by Montpellier, it is the role he played in the 2012-13 season alongside Carlo Ancelotti that he is going to be remembered for.

Usually the appointment of a Director of Football alongside a manager on the bench has often seen clubs suffer an imbalance in squad due to division of responsibilities and power; but rarely was the case in PSG’s regard so.

The coherence in which the duo worked in regard to transfers and player management over the summer and the rest of the season puts even the short stint of Sir Matt Busby as United’s Director in poor light.

The Middle Eastern hotshots have announced themselves in football over the past couple of seasons; and if there is always the case of Malaga to point fingers at, then there equally stand the likes of Manchester City, who have transformed world football with that one summer of spending.

The duo of Ancelotti and Leonardo wreaked havoc on familiar shores by capturing the coup of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva for €65m. The additions of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Lucas Moura alongside Jeremy Menez and Javier Pastore were no mean feat either.

Then came the move that was Leonardo’s masterpiece, a move that diverted the attention of the world to PSG: David Beckham arrived at Paris.

After a season of high-flying, PSG thrashed one and all in France and were only halted by Barcelona in the Champions League. Though this might seem an ode to managerial capabilities of the duo, it is also intended as a peak into this cash churning machine’s transfer system.

Any team that has Ibrahimovic in its ranks has got to revolve around the towering Swede. Though this was not the case in Ibra’s Spanish endeavour, his French adventure so far has been nothing short of miraculous.

Ancelotti’s influence on Ibra’s style became clear from early days, as the Italian coach was able to tame Ibra’s lavish style into a more mature and responsible centre forward role. By placing the one-time winger Lavezzi as Ibra’s strike partner, Ancelotti was able to utilise the physicality he provides to capitalise on Lavezzi’s burst of pace on flick-ons.

The Italian manager was earlier known for introducing the diamond/spear formation at Chelsea, but his preferred system at PSG seemed to be one with two men upfront. This system was almost a 4-4-2 but with a midfielder playing on the left flank.

Pastore was one of Leonardo’s early purchases and though the Argentine’s hefty price tag is often questioned, he is often scored at crucial times. His adaptability on the left often finds him drifting into the No.10 role, and hereby allowing the likes of Menez or Maxwell to utilise the width.

PSG snapped up Lucas Moura for an astonishing €45m. (Getty Images)

Again Leonardo’s role and calls at important junctures showed their value this season as PSG critically snatched Moura from Manchester United’s clutches.

At that point of time the Brazilian’s value of €45m seemed to be highly inflated, but six months into his stay at Paris, Moura has become one of best youth talents in the world currently. The coming 2013-14 season will surely see the teenager establish himself on the right wing, and the work rate and creativity he provides on the flank is indeed commendable.