Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain head to Toulouse on Friday fresh from snapping up former England captain David Beckham on a five-month contract which will see him donate his entire salary to a children’s charity.
The 37-year-old midfielder — one of the world’s most recognisable sportsmen with a pop star wife and an estimated net worth of 190 million pounds ($300 million, 220 million euros) — has been without a club since leaving Los Angeles Galaxy last year.
But after a day of fevered speculation, the ex-Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan star was unveiled Thursday by Qatari-owned PSG at a packed news conference after a routine medical at a city hospital.
Despite admitting that he does not expect to feature regularly in the starting line-up, the veteran believes he still has plenty to offer at the highest level.
“How much can I give? I have a lot of experience in the game — 37 years old, over 13 or 14 championship trophies throughout my career, I’ve played for some of biggest clubs in the world, played with some of the best players in the world,” he said.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side have also welcomed 40 million-euro Brazil starlet Lucas Moura, in another significant coup for PSG.
But there has been an exodus of talent from many of France’s top sides.
Lyon’s Michel Bastos, Marseille’s Loic Remy, Yann M’Vila of Rennes, Montpellier’s Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Mathieu Debuchy of Lille were among the stars to move abroad, with the latter two helping start a French revolution at Newcastle United.
Toulouse themselves saw France midfielder Moussa Sissoko head to Newcastle, although their coach Alain Casanova had to insist that another international star, Etienne Capoue, would be going nowhere.
As relieved as he will be to see the transfer window slam shut, Casanova must now prepare his team for the meeting with a PSG side who are unbeaten in ten games in all competitions.
“When PSG sign a player he tends to cost the same as our budget for the year,” said Casanova.
“That makes you think, although at the same time I believe that we are incredibly lucky to have them in Ligue 1. PSG are a locomotive and we need them.”
These clubs met just last midweek in the French Cup, with PSG winning 3-1, and Casanova admits that there was “a big difference” between the pair that night.
As if that were not enough, Paris goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu appears to be unbeatable in the league at the moment.
He has gone 775 minutes without conceding a goal, breaking Bernard Lama’s club record dating back to 1996-97.
“I don’t pay too much attention to that. I think the merit for that goes to the whole team and to our defence,” insisted the Italian.
Against all the odds, Lyon and Marseille continue to push their far wealthier rivals in the title race.
Lyon, who have loaned Brazilian winger Bastos to Schalke as part of their attempts to drastically reduce their wage bill, travel to Corsica to face an Ajaccio side who have won just one of their last ten Ligue 1 games.
“We have lost a great player who was important in the dressing room and was always positive, but our strength is the collective,” insists OL defender Milan Bisevac.
Marseille have lost a bit of ground since the winter break having collected just four points from a possible nine, but they will hope to register a victory when bottom club Nancy visit the Stade Velodrome on Sunday.
Reigning champions Montpellier entertain Reims, who have not won in 14 league games, a sequence that has called the position of coach Hubert Fournier into question.
Friday (1930 GMT)
Toulouse v Paris Saint-Germain
Saturday
Lorient v Rennes (1600 GMT), Bastia v Evian, Bordeaux v Valenciennes, Brest v Nice, Lille v Troyes, Sochaux v Saint-Etienne
Sunday
Ajaccio v Lyon (1300 GMT), Montpellier v Reims (1600 GMT), Marseille v Nancy (2000 GMT)
Beckham's PSG aiming to assert authority
