Is Nantes Coach Michel Der Zakarian Right to Claim PSG 'Know How to Cheat?'

Fortune favours the brave, or so the old saying goes. For teams chasing glory in Ligue 1, they may suggest that fortune favours Paris Saint-Germain this season.

Over the last few weeks, a number of figures within the league have spoken out regarding certain tactics undertaken by the Parisian side in order to get one over on their rivals.

Before Wednesday's Coupe de France fixture against Nantes, Armenian coach Michel Der Zakarian told a news conference, via Ian Holyman of ESPN FC, that as well as playing well on the pitch, his team would have to show a certain level of mental toughness to overcome the Ligue 1 champions.

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They are stronger than us. They know how to cheat, and they have all the tools of a great team.

But you have to get in among them. If we're nice, they'll walk all over us. If we don't believe we can do it, we should stay here.

"

In the end, Wednesday’s game turned out to be a comfortable win for PSG. Nantes put up little in the way of a fight once Edinson Cavani turned in David Luiz’s free-kick. The game was over as a contest when Yohan Cabaye stroked the ball into the empty net after Maxime Dupe could only punch the ball as far as the edge of the box.

Der Zakarian will be disappointed in his side for their performance. He may have believed they could beat the Parisians, but his players didn’t seem to buy into his team talk.

In the build-up to last Sunday’s key match between Olympique Lyonnais and PSG, Lyon coach Hubert Fournier also tried to exert the mind games before the sides faced off. Fournier suggested, via the Guardian, that Zlatan Ibrahimovic was making comments to referees in either Italian or English so they wouldn’t understand.

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The person who is going to be most provoked is rather Mr [Clement] Turpin, like all the referees in this league who get insulted by this person. Apparently, the referees are not bilingual or trilingual, so they don’t understand. In a way, it’s better to speak Italian or English to insult referees.

I don’t want [our team] to provoke. I don’t want us to insult the officials. I hope we remember not to fall for Zlatan’s provocations.

"

During the 1-1 draw at the Stade de Gerland, it wasn’t Ibrahimovic who intimidated the referee, but there were a few key decisions that helped shape the final score.

With Lyon 1-0 up, a loose touch from defender Lindsay Rose saw the ball fall to Marco Verratti. The little Italian took a touch, Rose went to make a tackle and the midfielder went down.

Turpin pointed to the spot and Twitter was split down the middle with regard to the referee’s decision. At first glance it looked like a penalty, and Rose’s lunge certainly gave Turpin a decision to make. From the reverse angle, in slow motion, it looked as though there was minimal, if any contact.

Claude Paris/Associated Press

Ibrahimovic stepped up, and his initial penalty was saved by the phenomenal Anthony Lopes. However, Turpin ordered a retake. The Swede wasn’t going to miss a second time and went high into the opposite corner.

At first, it looked like Lopes had moved off his line, but it later turned out that the penalty had to be retaken due to encroachment from the home side. Always playing mind games, Ibrahimovic, via Joe Wright of Goal.com, backed up Turpin’s decision after the game.

"The penalty retake? If you follow the rules, it makes sense. It was a good game but we should have won. Lopes made some saves, but we had some chances where we should have scored."

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas was less than convinced by some of the decisions made by Turpin and took to Twitter to declare the injustice he felt.

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Bravo à tous ms joueurs et cette jeune équipe de l'ol ! la série d'erreurs d'arbitrage et /ou d'interprétations arbitrales est affligeante!

— Jean-Michel AULAS (@JM_Aulas) February 9, 2015"

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5 faire retirer ds ce contexte ce penalty d'Ibra avec les joueurs de Psg aussi dans la surface : et si le pénalty avait été marqué?injuste

— Jean-Michel AULAS (@JM_Aulas) February 9, 2015"

Aulas congratulated his players before suggesting that the series of referring errors or interpretations was appalling. He also went on to declare that the penalty against Rose was unfair and that PSG’s players were also in the box.

When talking to Canal Plus after the game, via Joe Wright of Goal.com, there was a hint of a suggestion that he felt decisions going in PSG’s favour is par for the course.

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We had our chances and an outstanding goalkeeper, but it's more to do with meeting regulations. [The Matuidi incident] was an indisputable penalty. I'm very annoyed.

When you tell me that it wasn't a deserved penalty, I think you're taking me for an idiot.

"

Aulas was alluding to an incident in the first half when it clearly looked as though Blaise Matuidi handled the ball inside the penalty area. It certainly looked clearer than Verratti’s fall.

There was also an incident in the first half when David Luiz charged into Yoann Gourcuff in midair, which saw the midfielder go flying but nothing was given in favour of the home side. It is easy to see why Aulas would be annoyed and suggest that there was some level of favouritism toward the Parisians.

This is probably the one subject you may find Lyon and Saint-Etienne agreeing on.

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Back in Week 22, Saint-Etienne were beaten 1-0 by PSG at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. The game wasn’t lacking controversy, with Jeremy Clement adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area. It looked more like shoulder than arm, but regardless, FIFA rules class your shoulder as your arm, something Clement himself wasn’t sure about at the time.

The other big moment came at the end, when Ibrahimovic went studs first into Romain Hamouma but only received a yellow card. It should have been a red, and next week, the forward will stand before the disciplinary committee to make his case. However, the suspension of the decision has meant the Swede has continued to play a role in Laurent Blanc’s lineup.

Veteran Marseille defender Rod Fanni is not surprised by Zlatan’s role, and he plays the role as agitator brilliantly.

 “I have had the desire to throw a punch at Ibrahimovic more than once,” Fanni told Le Parisien (h/t the Guardian). “We have said things to each other in English that I cannot repeat in public."

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He is playing a role with his arrogant behaviour and he is doing it very well. They should give him an Oscar for it. He can be very annoying out there on the pitch but that is a role he is playing. I know some PSG players and they all tell me that he is not really like that.

"

This is a role that continues off the pitch in front of the media. His claim of being “the Boss” last week after PSG beat Lille, 1-0, in the semi-final of the Coupe de la Ligue shows he wants to project his role as leader for everyone to see.

Perhaps the recent suggestions from both Der Zakarian and Fournier is the Ligue 1 coaches trying to hit back at the feeling that PSG are being favoured ahead of their own teams. However, it could be a well-played ploy to try and highlight an issue that doesn’t exist, but if enough people tell the same story, it can quickly become fact rather than fiction.

Over the course of the season, many believe what goes around goes around.

It is hard to believe that the LFP would have any bias toward the Parisian giants, but it will be very interesting to see how future decisions are made, especially if more Ligue 1 coaches are brave enough to suggest that PSG are using intimidation or underhand tactics.