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Last week’s UEFA Champions League success on away goals against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge was arguably Paris Saint-Germain’s greatest achievement under Qatar Sports Investments’ ownership so far.

The French capital outfit’s ability to knock out Jose Mourinho’s men to secure a place in a third consecutive quarterfinal was a sign of progress. It was confirmation that PSG are on course to realise their ambition of becoming one of Europe’s biggest clubs and affirmation that they are already one of the continent’s major players.

The fact that Laurent Blanc’s men managed to play for 85 minutes with just 10 men after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s harsh red card heightened the sense of achievement and the team were lauded as “heroic” upon their return to Paris on Thursday.

However, just three days later, French football’s new darlings lost their newfound positive image and found themselves at the centre of attention - but for the wrong reasons.

Like after the Chelsea game just four days before it, Ibrahimovic was the subject of plenty of post-match scrutiny after a 3-2 Ligue 1 defeat away at Girondins de Bordeaux. But this time, there was less sympathy in what was being said.

None, in fact.

The Swede’s outrageous post-match outburst at the perceived poor refereeing of Lionel Jaffredo, directed at the Frenchman’s assistant in the players’ tunnel, prompted plenty of criticism from the French footballing world and beyond.

All of it, on this occasion, was justified.

Frustration at poor refereeing decisions in Ligue 1 is often understandable. Errors in judgment from the officials are commonplace in Le Championnat and illogical and baffling choices often spoil the most exciting matches.

There is a reason why France had no refereeing representation at last summer’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil; Ligue 1’s finest are simply not up to scratch. However, it does not justify an angry tirade on the scale of Ibrahimovic’s last weekend.

PSG’s talisman was irate that Jaffredo had not spotted Bordeaux captain Ludovic Sane’s pass back to his goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso after 85 minutes. Although he was right and it should have been an indirect free-kick, his angry reaction - if somewhat understandable - manifested itself in some unacceptable behaviour.

Firstly, Ibrahimovic’s rant makes the club look bad.

No sooner had Les Parisiens earned an impressive result against Chelsea that even their harshest critics had to stand back and admire, that goodwill was quickly forgotten because of the man who has given them so much over the past few seasons.

However, because of his achievements in the French capital since arriving, Ibrahimovic often sees himself as above the law.

At first, the novelty of Zlatan being Zlatan on and off the pitch was amusing. It was something new, the likes of which Ligue 1 had not seen for a very long. But this season, it has become tiresome and there has been more talking done off the pitch, in the press, than on it.

PSG are currently struggling to overhaul Olympique Lyonnais at the top of Ligue 1, trailing by two points with just nine games remaining.

Their laboured performance for much of this season is simply because they often do not respect their domestic opponents enough and are often caught out by sides motivated to upset the big boys, with every home game against PSG something of a cup final.

That lack of respect comes across off the pitch from the players too now and again, but Ibrahimovic is nearly always the main culprit. However, usually there is no remorse. But this time, the Swede felt moved to apologise for his offensive remarks, probably because he realised that he had taken things a step too far.

Although the 33-year-old had a point about the referee’s poor decision regarding the backpass, the delivery of his criticism was lamentable. What added to the embarrassment was that, aside from that incident, the referee had endured a largely poor showing but in PSG’s favour!

Had Jaffredo not awarded Blanc’s team a soft penalty for the most minimal of contact between Bordeaux’s Mariano and PSG’s Ezequiel Lavezzi, the defending French champions would not have had the spot-kick that Ibrahimovic converted to make it 2-2.

If the Swede had taken exception to a string of clear decisions against the capital club on another day, then perhaps his ire would have been more understandable. But in this case, it made little sense and he should have kept his tongue.

Ibrahimovic might have already apologised, but the damage has already been done and a hefty suspension should follow. The club should also fine the Swede to demonstrate that they are serious about creating a positive image for itself.

Not only was it unacceptable and disrespectful behaviour from one of the league’s most revered stars, but it was also another disciplinary flashpoint that follows hot on the heels of a two-game ban for a shocking tackle on AS Saint-Etienne’s Romain Hamouma earlier this year.

A hangover from that incident was a suspended one-game ban that was due to come into effect the next time Ibrahimovic picked up a yellow card. Bearing that in mind, the Ligue de Football Professionnel’s final decision on this matter will likely take that into account and we could see somewhere in the range of a five-game suspension.

PSG’s Jeremy Menez was slapped with a four-match ban for using harsher language to referee Tony Chapron at half-time of a 3-0 win over OGC Nice back in 2013. Ibrahimovic and PSG should know what to expect and there can be few complaints when it gets dished out.

On the pitch, the defending French champions finally started to dream bigger with last week’s Champions League progress, but unsavoury moments like these belittle that dream and their achievements because of the sour taste it leaves in many people’s mouths.

PSG may be on the road to becoming a European giant, but results like the one achieved against Chelsea perhaps expose just how much further this club still needs to develop before it can legitimately call itself a continental behemoth.

Respecting the opposition and officials of the league PSG want to become the flagship team for would be a good starting place.