5 Reasons Paris Saint-Germain Could Be Contenders Under Carlo Ancelotti

It's official. Carlo Ancelotti is the new manager of Paris Saint-Germain.

The 52-year-old Italian takes over for Antoine Kombouaré, who joined PSG in 2009. Ancelotti is already being tipped as the man to take PSG to the top.

Will he do it? Will Ancelotti repeat his Champions League triumphs with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007? It's definitely possible and we've got five reasons why.

Ancelotti's Past Success

Ancelotti won the Champions League with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007. Also with the Rossoneri, he won the Coppa Italia in 2003 and the Scudetto in 2004.

Ancelotti also won the Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea in 2010.

In short, he's had success. Plenty of it. And success breeds success.

Almost as importantly for PSG, Ancelotti's arrival means the departure of Antoine Kombouare. While Kombouare wasn't a poor coach, his teams had a bad habit of playing poorly in big games.

Money

PSG are one of Europe's richest clubs, thanks to a May 2011 takeover by Qatari investors.

That means PSG have money to spend. They flashed it in August with their €42 million purchase of Argentine midfielder Javier Pastore (more on him later).

Expect the money to keep flowing in the fashion of England's Manchester City. It might take some time to build a squad and let it gel, but you can count on PSG trying.

It takes money to win, and PSG have it.

Javier Pastore

Speaking of Pastore, PSG have a potential superstar thanks to that €42 million investment.

The 22-year-old Pastore, who was the Serie A Young Player of the Year in 2010 with Palermo, has already scored six times in 10 league games despite some friction with former coach Antoine Kombouare.

With his impressive performances, Pastore has drawn flattering comparisons from his teammates.

If PSG can manage to keep Pastore satisfied and playing at a high level, they have a great foundation for the future right in the middle of the park.

Claude Makélélé

He retired as a player at the end of last season, but Claude Makélélé is still valuable to PSG.

In September, PSG signed the former French international to an advisory role with the club. As per the agreement, Makélélé will help develop the club's sporting policy.

That's fancy speak for: He'll help the club with everything from training methods to on-field strategy to talent identification.

As a player, Makélélé was one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation. We don't see any reason he won't be a success off the pitch as well.

Ligue 1

To be a contender in the Champions League, you have to qualify for the Champions League every year.

PSG should qualify for the Champions League every year via Ligue 1.

This isn't meant to be harsh on Ligue 1. But it's true, especially with all the new money flowing into the club.

France features some excellent teams in Lille, Marseille and Lyon. But there's no reason PSG shouldn't qualify for the Champions League every season.