Toulouse coach Alain Casanova believes that Paris Saint-Germain are on the same level as recognised European giants such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United.

The 51-year-old feels the Parisiens are doing a lot to raise the profile of the French game, having lured stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Javier Pastore and David Beckham to Ligue 1 in recent years, and has nothing but praise for their approach.

“For me, this team is the calibre of Barcelona, Real Madrid or Manchester United, even if they have less experience,” the Toulouse coach was quoted as saying on the official Ligue 1 website.

“The value of any one of their players is equal to our budget. That makes you think. But it’s a great opportunity for Ligue 1 and for us all. PSG are a driving force, and we need that. PSG are doing a lot for French football.

“You can like their policy or not, but they are pulling our game upwards and we needed that. It’s up to the other clubs to organise the revolt, to find solutions and the means to improve in terms of their play and economically.”

Toulouse host PSG on Friday evening.