Ibrahimovic welcomes PSG scrutiny

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Paris Saint-Germain are targeted by opponents due to their high profile.

PSG sit top of Ligue 1 with 38 points from their 19 fixtures so far, leading second-placed Olympique Lyon due to a superior goal difference.

And Ibrahimovic claims that French football is tougher than it is often perceived, but that it is especially difficult for him and his side.

“I feel that I’m under a lot of scrutiny,” the Swedish forward told the club’s official website.

“Eveywhere I go, people pounce on the least little thing I do. I just need to get used to it, because Paris is really in the limelight right now. Bit it’s fine, that’s how things go. When you want to be at the top, you have to accept extraordinary treatment.

“Everyone wants to throw a spanner in our works to stop us from fulfilling our ambitions. In the team, we all have the same objectives and we’re not going to let anything get in our way.”

Ibrahimovic, who has scored 18 times in the league so far this season, also hailed the quality of his team-mates, reserving special praise for Marco Verratti.

“In general, the team is a cut above the rest,” he added.

“But the lad who has surprised me the most since the beginning of the season is still Marco (Verratti). Even though I was playing in Italy last season, I wasn’t aware of him at all because he was playing in the second division [for Pescara].

“He has a huge talent and he just needs to be allowed the necessary time to progress at his own pace. People shouldn’t forget that he has just turned 20.”