Lacazette best in France

Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette was named France's player of the year at a ceremony in Paris on Sunday as Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc won the Ligue 1 coach of the year prize.

Lacazette won the award, voted for by his peers, ahead of PSG trio Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Javier Pastore and Marco Verratti after a remarkable season in which he has scored 27 Ligue 1 goals to help Lyon finish second and qualify for next season's Champions League.

His form has attracted interest from elsewhere, with PSG and Arsenal among those linked with an approach for the 23-year-old. And Lacazette admitted he is uncertain where his future lies beyond this campaign.

"I don't know," he said when asked if he would still be at OL next season. "That is a question that will be asked at the end of the season.

"I am very proud, it is a boyhood dream come true to win the trophy for the best player."

There was to be no third straight player of the year gong for Ibrahimovic, but Blanc won the coach's award for the second time in his career, a day after the capital club retained the French title.

The 49-year-old, who previously took the honor when in charge of Bordeaux in 2008, saw his PSG side secure a third consecutive Ligue 1 crown with a game to spare on Saturday after it beat Montpellier 2-1.

Having already won the season-opening Champions Trophy and the League Cup, PSG can win an unprecedented clean sweep of the domestic honors by beating second-tier Auxerre in the French Cup final on May 30.

Hubert Fournier of Lyon, Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier and Guingamp coach Jocelyn Gourvennec were the other coaching nominees.

(China Daily 05/19/2015 page19)