Bastia coach Francois Ciccolini believes the French top tier will miss the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic this season.

The 34-year-old striker joined Manchester United this summer on a free transfer, and has already made his mark with a goal on his competitive debut last Sunday against Leicester City.




Ibrahimovic was a talismanic figure at Paris Saint-Germain during his four-season stay, and despite the arrival of many top names over the last few years, the Swede was the poster boy of Ligue 1 during his time in France.

He scored 156 goals in 180 appearances for PSG, and played a massive role in helping them dominate French football over the last few seasons.
 


And Bastia coach Ciccolini admits that Ligue 1 will miss the Swede as he was a crowd-puller, and his departure this summer has taken a little sheen off the French top tier.  

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On the new Manchester United forward he told French sports daily L’Equipe: “At an entertainment level, we will miss him.

“For the championship, he was exceptional. No one brings the same kind of fervour as him, many people came to the stadium to see him for his uniqueness.

“He scored brilliant goals, and his departure will remove a little bit of spice for sure.”

Manchester United are depending on Ibrahimovic to add goals and glamour to a forward line which struggled last season in the Premier League.