Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure from Paris Saint-Germain has made Ligue 1 a more interesting league, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says.
Ibrahimovic left PSG in the summer after having won four straight league titles at the Parc des Princes, along with both French cups the previous two seasons.
But this year’s French table is much more competitive, with Nice holding a two-point lead over Monaco, who are a further three on top of PSG.
And Mourinho says Ligue 1 fans should be thankful that Ibrahimovic is no longer around to help PSG dominate.
“First of all I think people in France have to be happy that he left, because now you have a league. With him, no league,” Mourinho told SFR Sport.
“With him, it’s Paris and Paris and Paris… league, cup, league cup, super cup… everything.
“And now you have a league. A league that I watch. I watch now, I’m interested. Nice, [Mario] Balotelli, Monaco, my friend Leonardo [Jardim], Paris. Now I watch Ligue 1. So you have to thank him that he left.
“And now, with us, phenomenal. And he’s not just about goals, he’s about the passion he brings to training sessions.
“And with me, I keep saying that I had him when he was 25, 26, maybe 27, and now I have him in the last period of his career, and I prefer this player.”
