Football: Departing Ibrahimovic hoping to sign off with French Cup

Sweden's forward and team captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic during a match between Denmark and Sweden at Parken stadium in Copenhagen, on Nov 17, 2015. PHOTO: AFP

PARIS (AFP) - Zlatan Ibrahimovic will aim to lift one final trophy as the curtain comes down on his record-shattering Paris Saint-Germain career in Saturday's French Cup final against bitter rivals Marseille.

Ibrahimovic, who obliterated Pauleta's club goals record earlier this season and now stands on 154 from 179 games, announced he will leave Paris when his contract expires at the end of June after a trophy-laden four years in France.

The Swede will look to fire Laurent Blanc's side to a second straight domestic treble which would send PSG level with Marseille as 10-time winners of the French Cup.

Ibrahimovic notched his 37th and 38th league goals in Saturday's 4-0 thumping of Nantes in his final appearance at the Parc des Princes to surpass Argentine striker Carlos Bianchi's 37-goal mark set during the 1977-78 season.

Having been crowned France's player of the year for a record third time, before declaring "I came like a king, left like a legend", Ibrahimovic will look to bow out with his reputation enhanced yet further.

Although the 34-year-old has missed training with a sore calf this week, there is no question the Sweden star will spearhead the PSG attack at the Stade de France.

Saturday will also mark the final appearance for Gregory van der Wiel, with the Dutch defender set to move on having joined PSG in 2012, the same summer as Ibrahimovic.

Midfielder Marco Verratti underwent surgery on Monday and the Italy international will not only miss the final but his country's Euro 2016 campaign as a result.

For Marseille, who have gone 27 years since their last French Cup title, Saturday's showdown is a chance to salvage what has been nothing short of a catastrophic season.

The club never recovered from the bombshell departure of Marcelo Bielsa in August and finished 13th, their lowest position since the 2000-01 season.

However, winger Romain Alessandrini believes taking on the French champions can bring the best out of their underperforming side.

"We're up against a very good PSG team that is used to winning trophies, so we have nothing to lose," Alessandrini told OM.net. "There's an eternal rivalry between the two clubs. It's going to be rather intense to say the least."

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