The Champions League quarter-final draw on Friday pitted Paris Saint-Germain against Manchester City, ensuring Zlatan Ibrahimovic will head back to England next month.
After the Swedish international masterminded the Parisian’s triumph over Chelsea in the last round, the French giants have also now claimed the Ligue 1 title earlier than many expected.
In turn, they are now able to fully focus on the Champions League, with Ibrahimovic aiming to end his time in the French capital in style given that his contract is set to expire in the summer.
With no suggestion that an agreement over an extension is imminent, it remains to be seen whether or not the 34-year-old extends his stay with PSG, but for the time being his focus will be on winning more titles.
As noted by The Daily Mail, the Swede used to struggle against English sides which in turn ensured that he never gained the recognition and respect that he arguably deserved from fans around Europe.
Having won countless league titles in Holland, Italy, Spain and France, combined with numerous individual accolades and praise from former coaches and teammates alike, Ibrahimovic is undoubtedly one of the best in Europe, and has been for some time.
However, rightly or wrongly, he has been judged by the wider media, but particularly in England, as falling below expectations given his struggles against teams from the Premier League.
The former AC Milan and Barcelona forward took big steps towards dispelling that criticism against Chelsea by playing a decisive role in both legs, and he will now look to repeat the trick against City in the coming weeks.
It won’t be easy given City’s improvements in Europe this season, but few will doubt that the influential PSG striker will have his say over the two legs and continue to prove his critics wrong on the big stage with plenty at stake.