Robert Pires has "confidence" in Laurent Blanc for Paris Saint-Germain

Former France international Robert Pires has insisted that his old teammate Laurent Blanc would be a good fit to be Paris Saint-Germain's next coach.

Although PSG are yet to confirm the deal, it has been reported that the Ligue 1 side are close to agreeing terms with Blanc, with current boss Carlo Ancelotti likely to join Real Madrid.

"With the French team he certainly made mistakes, but he knows that; he's aware of that," ESPN quotes Pires as saying. "It's certainly going to be a lesson to him. He knows that PSG are very strong and have big characters. It's up to him to handle the dressing-room well.

"The question is whether or not he can do that. I think he can, because he has experience. He's a young coach, but he knows what winning means. He proved it as a player and at Bordeaux. I think it's good news for PSG. He also knows that there will be big expectations of him.

"He knows that he wasn't among their priorities, because a lot of names have been mentioned. It's a new step for him, a step up. He's going to be able to show that he can handle a dressing-room with great players with strong personalities, and for some of them, a lot of ego. But I have confidence in him because he's got experience."

Blanc left his post with France a year ago.