Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises
...
based in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, France. They compete in
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
, the
top division of
French football
Association football is the most popular sport in France. The French Football Federation (FFF, Fédération Française de Football) is the national governing body and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of association football in the cou ...
. As
France's most successful club, they have won over 40 official honours, including ten league titles and one major European trophy. Their home ground is the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
.
The Parisians were founded in 1970, following the merger of
Paris FC
Paris Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris FC or simply PFC, is a French professional football club based in Paris, that competes in the Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. Paris FC play their home matches at the Stade Ch ...
and
Stade Saint-Germain. PSG won their first major honour, the
French Cup
The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and professiona ...
, in 1982 and their first Division 1 title in 1986. The 1990s was among the most successful periods in the club's history; they claimed a second league title, three French Cups, two
French League Cups, two
French Super Cups and the
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
in 1996. After suffering a decline in fortunes during the 2000s, the Red and Blues have enjoyed a revival since 2011 with increased financial backing, achieving unparalleled dominance in domestic competitions, winning multiple league titles and national cups. PSG have also become a regular feature in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, reaching their first final in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
.
PSG have the most consecutive seasons playing in France's top flight and are one of two French clubs to have won a
major European title. They are the most popular football club in France and one of the most widely supported teams in the world. PSG's home kit colours are red, blue, and white, and their crest features the
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
and a
fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
. Paris have a longstanding rivalry with
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille (, ; oc, Olimpic de Marselha, ), also known simply as Marseille or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional men's football club based in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Founded in 1899, the club pl ...
; the duo contest French football's most notorious match, ''
Le Classique
Le Classique (, The Classic) is the rivalry between French professional football clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. The duo are the two most successful clubs in French football, and the only French teams to have won major Eur ...
''.
Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ( ar, تميم بن حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني; born 3 June 1980, Doha, Qatar) is the Emir of Qatar who succeeded his father, Sheikh Hamad, after Hamad abdicated in his favour.
Tamim is the fourth son ...
, the
Emir of Qatar
The Emir, or Amir, of the State of Qatar ( ar, أمیر دولة قطر) is the monarch and head of state of the country. He is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and guarantor of the Constitution. He holds the most powerful positio ...
, owns Paris Saint-Germain through closed shareholders
Qatar Sports Investments
Qatar Sports Investments (QSi) is a closed shareholding organization founded in 2005 and based in Doha, Qatar. Revenues generated from ventures of QSi are reinvested into Qatar's sport, leisure and entertainment sectors. QSi is led by Chairman N ...
(QSI), which purchased the club in 2011. The takeover made PSG the richest club in France and one of the wealthiest in the world. Paris currently have the
sixth-highest revenue in the footballing world with an annual revenue of €556m according to
Deloitte
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of profession ...
, and are
the world's seventh-most valuable football club, worth $3.2bn according to
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
.
History
Creation and split (1970–1973)
![GC30](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/GC30.jpg)
In the summer of 1970,
an ambitious group of businessmen decided to create a major team in the French capital.
Guy Crescent
Guy Crescent (10 June 1920 – 16 October 1996) was a French businessman. He was president of the company from 1963 to 1985, and of football club Paris Saint-Germain in 1971, which he helped create a year prior.
Biography
Early life ...
and
Pierre-Étienne Guyot
Pierre-Étienne Guyot (21 May 1905 – 13 October 1985) was a French sports executive. He notably was president of the from 1970 to 1981, president of the Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse from 1972 to 1981, vice p ...
chose to merge their virtual side,
Paris FC
Paris Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris FC or simply PFC, is a French professional football club based in Paris, that competes in the Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. Paris FC play their home matches at the Stade Ch ...
, created in 1969, with
Stade Saint-Germain of
Henri Patrelle
Henri Patrelle (5 November 1918 – 25 December 1995) was a French football player and executive who served as president of Stade Saint-Germain and its successor Paris Saint-Germain.
Being the "backbone" of Stade Saint-Germain from 1942 onwards ...
after the team from
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris.
Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ge ...
, 15 km west of Paris and founded in 1904, won promotion to
Division 2.
However, the three men were stuck with the financial feasibility of the project until they met
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
president
Santiago Bernabéu.
He told them that starting a crowdfunding campaign was the best solution to establish a new team.20,000 people backed the project and Paris Saint-Germain were formed on June 17, 1970.
Guyot was elected
the club's first president a few days later.
For the first time in French football history, the fans had financially contributed in the making of a club.
The merger was made official following the creation of the
club's association on August 12, 1970.
PSG retains this day as their foundation date.
Paris FC contributed with the financial backing, while Stade Saint-Germain provided the sporting infrastructure, from the
Division 2 status to the
Camp des Loges
The Camp des Loges, also known as Ooredoo Training Centre for sponsorship reasons, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is the training ground of French football club Paris Saint-Germain. The current version of the Camp des Loges opened in Nove ...
training center, as well as the manager
Pierre Phelipon
Pierre Phelipon (born 5 February 1935) is a French former professional footballer and manager. In his playing days, he was a defender. He is known for being the first manager in the history of Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain F ...
and most of the players, including
Bernard Guignedoux
Bernard Guignedoux (31 January 1947 – 1 January 2021) was a French professional football player and manager. He is known for being the first goal-scorer in the history of Paris Saint-Germain.
Playing career
Guignedoux was a graduate of the ...
,
Michel Prost
Michel Prost (born 23 February 1946) is a French former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is known for being one of the first "stars" in the history of Paris Saint-Germain. As of November 2022, Prost is a delegate for the town ...
and
Camille Choquier
Camille Choquier (born 25 September 1941) is a French former professional football player and manager.
Career
During his career as a player, he played for Abbeville, Épinal, Stade Saint-Germain, and its successor, Paris Saint-Germain. He co ...
.
PSG further strengthened their squad with the signing of
Jean Djorkaeff
Jean Djorkaeff (born 27 October 1939) is a French former professional footballer and manager. As a player, he operated as a defender.
Early life
Djorkaeff was born in the French commune of Charvieu, located in the ''département'' of Isère. ...
, captain of the
French national team.
PSG's first official game was a 1–1 league draw away to
Poitiers
Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglomerat ...
on August 23, 1970. Guignedoux scored the club's first ever goal from a free-kick.
The club went on to clinch promotion to
Division 1 and claim the
Division 2 title in its
inaugural season.
PSG's
first top-flight season ended with a safe
16th place, meaning they would stay in
Division 1 next year, but behind the scenes the club was in a delicate financial situation.
Back in September 1971, the
Paris City Council offered 850k francs to pay the club's debt and save its place in the elite, demanding PSG in return to adopt the more Parisian name "Paris Football Club."
Crescent, who had replaced Guyot as club president before the start of the season, was in favor of the name change, but Patrelle was against it.
The disagreement led to Crescent's resignation in December 1971, handing the presidency to Patrelle.
The latter tried to persuade the council to reconsider their position, but they remained inflexible and the club split on June 1, 1972, a few days after the last match of the campaign.
Backed by the council, Crescent re-formed
Paris FC
Paris Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris FC or simply PFC, is a French professional football club based in Paris, that competes in the Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. Paris FC play their home matches at the Stade Ch ...
and remained in Division 1, while the PSG of Patrelle were administratively relegated to
Division 3, thus losing professional status.
Top-flight return and Parc des Princes move (1973–1978)
![23](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/23.05.66_Just_Fontaine_dans_son_magasin_%281966%29_-_53Fi634.jpg)
Paris Saint-Germain really took flight with the arrival of fashion designer
Daniel Hechter
Daniel Hechter (born 30 July 1938) is a French-Belgian fashion designer who is sometimes referred to as the inventor of ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter). He is also known for being the president of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. from 1974 to 1978, h ...
as chairman of the management committee in June 1973.
Besides offering his financial support to the club, he also designed the team's classic home outfit.
Hechter then shocked the national game ahead of
1973–74 by appointing French legend
Just Fontaine
Just Louis Fontaine (born 18 August 1933) is a French former professional footballer. A prolific forward, he is best known for scoring the most goals in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup, with thirteen in six matches in 1958. In 2004, Pel ...
as sporting director.
Robert Vicot
Robert Vicot (born 29 October 1931) is a French former professional football defender. He played for Ivry sur Seine, Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville, Toulon and SO Le Lavandou.
Vicot coached SO Le Lavandou, Châteauroux, Paris SG, Rouen, Paris FC, ...
's men finished
second in Group B, four points behind
Red Star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...
, qualifying for the
promotion play–offs against
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a s ...
. PSG lost 1–2 away to Valenciennes, but PSG recorded an incredible 4–2 comeback at the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
, thus achieving promotion to
Division 1 and regaining its professional status abandoned two years earlier.
Overwhelmed by emotion, Fontaine collapsed on the lawn and was then carried by the players in celebration.
Since then, PSG have always played in the first tier of French football.
PSG played their first game at the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
during this campaign. It was against fellow Parisian side
Red Star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...
on November 10, 1973. PSG won 3–1 and
Othniel Dossevi
Othniel Dossevi (born 13 January 1947) is a Togolese former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger and Forward (association football), forward.
Career
Dossevi started playing football in France ...
scored the club's first goal at the stadium.
The Parisians also began their tradition of brilliant
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and profession ...
runs, reaching the quarterfinals after beating
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
at the Parc in front of 25,000 spectators (2–1; 4–1 on agreggate).
In an ironic turn of events,
Paris FC
Paris Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris FC or simply PFC, is a French professional football club based in Paris, that competes in the Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. Paris FC play their home matches at the Stade Ch ...
were relegated to
Division 2 at the same time as Paris Saint-Germain moved up to the top flight in 1974, leaving their home stadium, the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
, in the hands of their estranged Parisian brothers. Since then, the Parc has been the home of PSG.
With promotion to
Division 1 also came a change of command.
Daniel Hechter
Daniel Hechter (born 30 July 1938) is a French-Belgian fashion designer who is sometimes referred to as the inventor of ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter). He is also known for being the president of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. from 1974 to 1978, h ...
, then chairman of the management committee, took over as club president in June 1974 following the resignation of Patrelle.
He named
Francis Borelli
Francis Borelli (8 April 1932 – 2 October 2007) was a French businessman. He was the chairman of Paris Saint-Germain from 1978 to 1991.
Parc des Princes
The west stand of the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater sta ...
as vice-president.
Under Hechter's tenure, the Parisians failed to win any silverware in the 1970s but began their tradition of brilliant Coupe de France runs, established themselves in Division 1, and attracted several prestigious players, including
Jean-Pierre Dogliani
Jean-Pierre Dogliani (17 October 1942 – 17 April 2003) was a Football in France, French footballer who played as a midfielder. He was caretaker manager for RC Strasbourg for two games in September and October 1988.
Honours
Angers
*Ligue 2, Fre ...
,
Mustapha Dahleb
Mustapha Dahleb (born 8 February 1952) is an Algerian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Having begun his career at Sedan and CR Belouizdad, he spent most of his career at Paris Saint-Germain before playing a final seaso ...
and
Carlos Bianchi
Carlos Arcesio Bianchi (born 26 April 1949), nicknamed ''El Virrey'' (''The Viceroy''), is an Argentine former football player and manager. A prolific goalscorer, although he had a bright career as a forward in Argentina and France, Bianchi is b ...
.
After Hechter was banned for life from football by the
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation ( FFF; french: Fédération Française de Football) is the governing body of football in France. It also includes the overseas departments ( Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion), the over ...
in January 1978, for running a ticketing scheme at the Parc des Princes, Francis Borelli, who had been vice-president until then, became the new boss of the
Île-de-France
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 = +01:00
, timezone1_DST = CEST
, utc_offset1_DST = +02:00
, blank_name_sec1 = Gross regional product
, blank_info_sec1 = Ranked 1st
, bla ...
club.
First major honours and decline (1978–1991)
Following the arrival of manager
Georges Peyroche
Georges Peyroche (born 27 January 1937) is a French football player and manager.
References
External links
*
*
Profile at racingstub.com
1937 births
Living people
French footballers
Association football forwards
France internati ...
in November 1979,
the club established itself as a top-half team and then welcomed its first major honour when the Parisians reached their
first French Cup final in 1982.
Up against the great
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Saint-Étienne is the t ...
of
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini (born 21 June 1955) is a French football administrator and former player and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Platini won the Ballon d'Or three times in a row, in 1983, 1984 and 1985, ...
at the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
,
Nambatingue Toko opened the scoring for PSG following a good cross from
Ivica Šurjak
Ivan "Ivica" Šurjak (born 23 March 1953) is a Croatian retired football midfielder. He was the driving force behind the success of Hajduk Split as it became a force in the Yugoslav First League in the 1970s.
Club career
He started his career ...
. Saint-Étienne reacted and Platini equalized to send the game to extra-time. Platini then doubled his personal account, giving the Greens the lead.
The Parc des Princes faithful no longer believed in their team when
Dominique Rocheteau
Dominique Claude Rocheteau (born 14 January 1955) is a French former professional footballer who played as a winger. A French international, he played in three FIFA World Cups, scoring at least one goal in each of them, and was part of the team ...
, after yet another assist from Šurjak, scored an unexpected equalizer in the last seconds of the match.
PSG fans invaded the field in joy, while club president
Francis Borelli
Francis Borelli (8 April 1932 – 2 October 2007) was a French businessman. He was the chairman of Paris Saint-Germain from 1978 to 1991.
Parc des Princes
The west stand of the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater sta ...
kneeled and kissed the lawn of the Parc.
Following an interruption of 30 minutes, the penalty shootout sealed PSG's coronation.
Dominique Baratelli
Dominique Baratelli (born 26 December 1947) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Career
Born in Nice, Baratelli started his footballing career with ''Cavigal Nice'' and turned professional in 1967 when switchi ...
stopped Saint-Étienne's last attempt and
Jean-Marc Pilorget
Jean-Marc Pilorget (born 13 April 1958) is a French former professional footballer and manager. He holds the record of the most appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, with 435 matches.
Club career
Pilorget is the all-time leader in appearances for ...
scored the winning penalty for the capital side.
This success opened the doors to Europe, where PSG made an impressive continental debut in reaching the quarterfinals of the
1982–83 European Cup Winners' Cup
The 1982–83 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Scottish club Aberdeen in an extra-time victory against Real Madrid. Alex Ferguson's young side defeated the Spanish giants after a notable victory over Bayern Munich in the quarter-f ...
.
![Dominique Rocheteau](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Dominique_Rocheteau.jpg)
On the domestic scene, results were just as satisfying. PSG captured their first podium finish, coming in
3rd place
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* Hig ...
, and repeated the feat in the
1983 Coupe de France Final, this time against
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
.
Recently crowned French champions, the Canaries were headed for the league-cup double, leading at the break after overturning
Pascal Zaremba
Pascal Zaremba (born 2 September 1959) is a French former professional football player and manager.
Club career
A youth graduate of Valenciennes, Zaremba was a versatile centre-back and defensive midfielder in his playing days. He notably scor ...
's early strike. But PSG managed their own comeback in the second half as Sušić equalized and then assisted Toko for the winning goal (3–2).
The campaign ended on a sad note, though, as
Georges Peyroche
Georges Peyroche (born 27 January 1937) is a French football player and manager.
References
External links
*
*
Profile at racingstub.com
1937 births
Living people
French footballers
Association football forwards
France internati ...
left the club.
Three years later, under the guidance of manager
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Paul Francis Houllier (; 3 September 194714 December 2020) was a French professional football manager and player. Clubs he managed include Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Liverpool, where he won the FA Cup, League Cup, FA Charity Shield, U ...
, PSG claimed their
maiden league crown in
1985–86.
They dominated the championship from start to finish thanks in big part to the likes of
Joël Bats
Joël Bats (born 4 January 1957) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He spent his entire senior club career in his native France, appearing in a total of 553 competitive club matches and 504 Division 1 matche ...
,
Dominique Bathenay
Dominique Bathenay (born 13 February 1954) is a French former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder and coach.
Career
Bathenay played for AS Saint-Étienne from 1973 to 1978, and for Paris Saint-Germain F.C., P ...
,
Luis Fernandez
Luis Miguel Fernández Toledo (born 2 October 1959), known as Luis Fernandez, is a French football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder.
Fernandez spent most of his playing career for Paris Saint-Germain. He earned 6 ...
,
Dominique Rocheteau
Dominique Claude Rocheteau (born 14 January 1955) is a French former professional footballer who played as a winger. A French international, he played in three FIFA World Cups, scoring at least one goal in each of them, and was part of the team ...
and
Safet Sušić
Safet "Pape" Sušić (; born 13 April 1955) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of TFF First League club Akhisarspor. He was a gifted midfielder known for his dribbling skills and techn ...
, all of whom made up the backbone of the team.
The victory away to
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
on Matchday 3 meant PSG sat at the top of the table for the first time ever, a spot they never relinquished, going a memorable 26 matches without defeat towards the title.
The follow-up to the league title was not as glorious though.
Defending champions PSG finished the league in
7th place, suffered an early exit from the French Cup and were knocked out by Czech minnows
Vítkovice in the first round of a disappointing
European Cup debut.
The following year, PSG avoided relegation on the final match of the
1987–88 season thanks to a dramatic 0–1 win away to
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
.
Highly indebted, the club briefly bounced back, fighting for the
1988–89 league crown with
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, before going into decline.
Canal+ takeover and golden era (1991–1998)
![Coppa UEFA 1992-93 - Napoli vs PSG - George Weah](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Coppa_UEFA_1992-93_-_Napoli_vs_PSG_-_George_Weah.jpg)
The takeover by television giants
Canal+
Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
in 1991 revitalised Paris Saint-Germain as they became one of the richest clubs in France.
Canal+ wiped out PSG's huge debt and appointed
, journalist on the channel, as club president in place of Francis Borelli.
Now enjoying serious investment, the Red and Blues were able to set their sights steadily higher: they had to qualify for European competitions in their first season and become French champions within three years.
In consequence, Canal+ increased the club's budget from 90 to 120 million francs in order to build a strong squad for the 1991–92 season.
The revolution began with the appointment of renowned coach
Artur Jorge, famous for leading
Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
to the
1986–87 European Cup
The 1986–87 season was the 32nd season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football competition. The tournament was won by Porto, who came from behind in the final against Bayern Munich to give a Portuguese club its first title since 1 ...
trophy. The club then embarked on a spending spree, signing Brazilian stars
Ricardo
Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname.
People Given name
*Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugu ...
and
Valdo as well as proven French players
Paul Le Guen
Paul Joseph Marie Le Guen (, ; born 1 March 1964) is a French professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Ligue 2 club Le Havre.
During his playing career, Le Guen played as a midfielder, and enjoyed a su ...
,
Laurent Fournier
Laurent Fournier (born 14 September 1964) is a French former professional footballer.
Managerial career
Fournier retired in 1998, immediately becoming manager of his final club SC Bastia in Ligue 1. He was fired in April 1999, and his next jobs ...
,
Patrick Colleter and prolific Liberian striker
George Weah
George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (; born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who is the incumbent president of Liberia, in office since 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served a ...
.
The 1992–93 season also marked the beginning of ''
Le Classique
Le Classique (, The Classic) is the rivalry between French professional football clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. The duo are the two most successful clubs in French football, and the only French teams to have won major Eur ...
'', the rivalry between Paris Saint-Germain and
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, as both teams battled each other on the field for the
1992–93 French Division 1
Olympique de Marseille won the 1992–93 Division 1 season of the French Association Football League with 53 points but lost its title due to a bribery scandal. The club that finished second, Paris Saint Germain refused it, making it unattribut ...
crown.
PSG finished runners-up after losing both games against Marseille.
In the second match between the two clubs, only three days after winning the
1992–93 UEFA Champions League, league leaders Marseille welcomed closest challengers PSG in a match that would determine the title.
After Marseille won their fifth consecutive championship,
Bernard Tapie
Bernard Roger Tapie (; 26 January 1943 – 3 October 2021) was a French businessman, politician and occasional actor, singer, and TV host. He was Minister of City Affairs in the government of Pierre Bérégovoy.
Life and career
Tapie was bor ...
and Marseille were found guilty of match-fixing in what became known as the
French football bribery scandal
The French football bribery scandal (french: Affaire VA-OM) occurred during a 1992–93 French Division 1 match between Valenciennes and Olympique de Marseille. Marseille president Bernard Tapie and general manager Jean-Pierre Bernès contact ...
.
The
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation ( FFF; french: Fédération Française de Football) is the governing body of football in France. It also includes the overseas departments ( Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion), the over ...
stripped Marseille of their title and offered it to second-placed PSG, who refused it because club owners Canal+ thought that claiming the trophy would anger their subscribers back in
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
.
As a result, the 1992–93 title remained unattributed, with Canal+ even refused letting the capital club participate in next year's
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
after
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
excluded Marseille from the competition. Instead,
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
, who finish third in Ligue 1 took the Champions League spot instead.
Considered the club's golden era, the Parisians won nine trophies and reached five consecutive European semi-finals during the 1990s, including their first
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
last-four appearance and two at the same stage of the
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
.
PSG's crowning glory came in the
1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final with legend
Luis Fernandez
Luis Miguel Fernández Toledo (born 2 October 1959), known as Luis Fernandez, is a French football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder.
Fernandez spent most of his playing career for Paris Saint-Germain. He earned 6 ...
now as coach.
Bruno Ngotty
Bruno Ngotty (born 10 June 1971) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a centre-back from 1988 until 2008, however he came out of retirement briefly in 2011.
As well as his native country he has played in the top flight divi ...
scored the only goal of the match to defeat
Rapid Wien
Sportklub Rapid Wien (), commonly known as Rapid Vienna, is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid has won the most Austrian championship titles (32), including the first title in the season 1911–12, ...
and make Paris the second French club to ever clinch a major European tournament and the youngest club in history to win a European title at 26 years of existence.
The following season, PSG finished runners-up in the
1996 UEFA Super Cup
The 1996 UEFA Super Cup was a two-legged match that took place on 15 January 1997 and 5 February 1997 between Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Saint-Germain of France, champions of the 1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and Juventus F.C., Juventus of ...
and
1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final.
On the domestic scene, results were just as satisfying, with Paris celebrating a
second league title, three French Cups, two
French League Cups and just as many
French Super Cup wins.
Crisis mode and relegation battles (1998–2011)
![Pedro Pauleta 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Pedro_Pauleta_2012.jpg)
PSG then went into decline following years of mismanagement.
In the summer 2000, PSG spent heavily on new players signing
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Sébastien Anelka (; born 14 March 1979) is a French professional Manager (association football), football manager and retired Football player, player who played as a Forward (association football), forward. As a player, he regularly fe ...
,
Peter Luccin
Peter Bernard Luccin (; born 9 April 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He currently serves as an assistant coach with MLS side FC Dallas.
After arriving in Spain at age 22, he went on to app ...
and
Stéphane Dalmat as part of the "PSG Banlieue" project of its shareholder Canal+, with the goal of winning Ligue 1 and performing a solid
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
campaign but it was a failure.
In 2003, the club faced a massive financial loss with a deficit of €65 million, leading Canal+ to fire Luis Fernandez as coach and Laurent Perpère as president and replacing them with
Vahid Halilhodžić
Vahid Halilhodžić (; born 15 October 1952) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most controversially successful Bosnian football managers, due to his successful tenure in coaching various na ...
, who became the new coach and Francis Graille the new president.
The club's form dwindled as they slipped further down the table and eventually, a split from owners
Canal+
Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
became inevitable.
At the start of the 21st century, PSG struggled to rescale the heights despite the magic of
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho () or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder, but was also deployed as a winger. Wide ...
and the goals of
Pauleta
Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes (born 28 April 1973), known as Pauleta (), is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a striker.
During 18 years as a senior he never played in the Primeira Liga, having spent 12 of those cam ...
.
Five more trophies arrived in the form of three French Cups (including one against ''
Le Classique
Le Classique (, The Classic) is the rivalry between French professional football clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. The duo are the two most successful clubs in French football, and the only French teams to have won major Eur ...
'' arch-rivals
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
), one French League Cup and one
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, 'betting pool'),Most precisely, from (football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International Foot ...
, but the club became better known for lurching from one high-profile crisis to another.
Following years of mismanagement, the club's form dwindled as they slipped further down the table and a split from
Canal+
Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
became inevitable.
The French premium television channel sold the club to
Colony Capital
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. is a global digital infrastructure investment firm. The company owns, invests in and operates businesses such as cell towers, data centers, fiber, small cells, and edge infrastructure. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Digita ...
in 2006. The situation, however, only got worse and PSG spent the
2006–07 and
2007–08 campaigns staving off relegations.
The latter was the most dramatic. Marred by poor results and fan violence, Paris avoided the drop on the final match after a 2–1 win at
Sochaux
Sochaux () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.
Geography
Sochaux lies east of Montbéliard, and southeast of Paris.
Population
Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''.
Economy
Soc ...
. The hero was Ivorian striker
Amara Diané
Amara Salim Diané (born 19 August 1982) is an Ivorian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward.
Club career
Born in Abidjan, Diané started his career training at the famous y ...
who scored both goals that night. Despite not enjoying the star status of other current or past PSG greats, Diané is still considered a legend by most Parisian fans.
QSI ownership and domestic dominance (2011–present)
After two years of solid progress and stability under the stewardship of manager
Antoine Kombouaré
Antoine Krilone Kombouaré (; born 16 November 1963) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Ligue 1 club Nantes.
Playing career
Born in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, Kombouaré bega ...
and president
Robin Leproux
Robin Leproux (born 22 July 1959) is a French businessman. He was the president of French football club Paris Saint-Germain from 2009 to 2011. Leproux was graduated from Reims Management School (Now NEOMA Business School) at 1983.
Career
Prio ...
, the fortunes of Paris Saint-Germain changed dramatically when
Qatar Sports Investments
Qatar Sports Investments (QSi) is a closed shareholding organization founded in 2005 and based in Doha, Qatar. Revenues generated from ventures of QSi are reinvested into Qatar's sport, leisure and entertainment sectors. QSi is led by Chairman N ...
(QSI) purchased the club in 2011.
The takeover made PSG not only the richest club in France but one of the wealthiest in the world.
Club president
Nasser Al-Khelaifi
Nasser bin Ghanim Al-Khelaifi ( ar, ناصر بن غانم الخليفي; born 12 November 1973) is a Qatari businessman and the chairman of beIN Media Group, chairman of Qatar Sports Investments, president of Paris Saint-Germain and the Qatar ...
pledged to form a team capable of winning the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
and making the club France's biggest name.
![Zlatan Ibrahimovic greeting PSG fans with the Eiffel Tower in the background](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Zlatan_Ibrahimovic_greeting_PSG_fans_with_the_Eiffel_Tower_in_the_background.jpg)
Club legend
Leonardo
Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard
Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English masculine given name and a surname.
The given name and surname originate ...
was brought back in a sporting director capacity and oversaw a spending spree in summer 2011 that has so far been unprecedented in
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
history, including the signings of
Blaise Matuidi
Blaise Matuidi (born 9 April 1987) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He most notably played for Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and the France national team.
Matuidi began his football career playing for ...
,
Salvatore Sirigu
Salvatore Sirigu (, ; born 12 January 1987) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Fiorentina and the Italy national team.
Sirigu began his career with Venezia, and then Palermo. In 2011, he moved to Paris Sa ...
,
Maxwell,
Kevin Gameiro
Kevin Dominique Gameiro (born 9 May 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg. He is a strong striker who is known for his clinical finishing, which compensates for his relatively light frame. ...
and
Javier Pastore
Javier Matías Pastore (; born 20 June 1989) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Qatar SC.
Pastore began his club career with Talleres and then Huracán in his native Argentina before moving to Se ...
.
As a result, the Parisians have dominated French football, despite finishing behind
Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
in
2011–12, the elusive league crown was finally brought back to Paris in
2012–13 driven by star player
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović (, ; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. Ibrahimović is renowned for his acrobatic strikes and volleys, powerful long-range sho ...
, team captain
Thiago Silva
Thiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Chelsea and captains the Brazil national team. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, he is known f ...
and famous manager
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti , (born 10 June 1959) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of La Liga club Real Madrid. Regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, Ancelotti is the most decorated manager ...
.
During the season, ahead of the winter transfer deadline it was announced that
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham (; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Known for his range of passing, crossing ability and bending fr ...
signed a five-month deal with the club. Zlatan's 30-goal haul almost single-handedly led the capital side to its first Ligue 1 title in 19 years, and third overall. They also became a regular in the knockout stages of the Champions League,
being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League on away goals by Barcelona in the quarter-finals after drawing both games.
Big money signings continued with the arrivals of
Edinson Cavani
Edinson Roberto Cavani Gómez (; born 14 February 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Valencia and the Uruguay national team. Nicknamed ''El Matador'' ('The Bullfighter'), being known for his i ...
in 2013 for a league record of €64 million, making it the sixth
largest transfer in history and
David Luiz
David Luiz Moreira Marinho (born 22 April 1987) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Flamengo. Primarily a centre back, he can also be deployed as a defensive midfielder.
After starting out at Vitoria, David Luiz moved to Ben ...
in 2014 for a £50 million transfer fee, a
world-record transfer for a defender.
Despite the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, PSG kept its winning ways under
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc (born 19 November 1965) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back, and is currently the manager of Ligue 1 club Lyon. He has the nickname ''Le Président'', which was given to him ...
. The club secured a maiden domestic treble (Ligue 1,
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue (), known outside France as the French League Cup, was a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in Football in France, French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. The tournament was est ...
and
Trophée des Champions
The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the super cups found in many other countries.
His ...
) in the 2013–14 season, before claiming an unprecedented national quadruple (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue and Trophée des Champions) twice in a row in 2014–15 and 2015–16, winning the latter with a record-breaking 96 points, becoming the only first French men's team to achieve that feat.
Fresh from three consecutive
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
titles with
Sevilla
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
,
Unai Emery
Unai Emery Etxegoien (born 3 November 1971) is a Spanish football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Aston Villa.
After a career spent playing mostly in Spain's Segunda División, Emery transitioned into coa ...
was hired by PSG for his European pedigree.
But with star player Zlatan Ibrahimović gone, the club endured a disappointing 2016–17 season.
Paris were pipped to the
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
title by Monaco, missing out on top spot for the first time in five years. Meanwhile, in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, the club suffered several disappointing nights,
including arguably the club's most painful continental defeat in the infamous and controversial
"La Remontada" ("The Comeback") against
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, losing 6–1 in the second leg of the
round of sixteen, despite winning the first leg in France by a score of 4–0.
![Neymar Jr presentation - Press conference for PSG 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Neymar_Jr_presentation_-_Press_conference_for_PSG_001.jpg)
In response, PSG signed
Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Sain ...
for a world-record fee of €222 million and French prodigy
Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé Lottin (born 20 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is renowned for his dribb ...
on an initial loan, which was made permanent in 2018 in a
transfer
Transfer may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Transfer'' (2010 film), a German science-fiction movie directed by Damir Lukacevic and starring Zana Marjanović
* ''Transfer'' (1966 film), a short film
* ''Transfer'' (journal), in management studies
...
worth €180 million plus add ons, making him both the second-
most expensive player and most expensive teenager. The capital club reclaimed the Ligue 1 title and also won the Trophée des Champions, the Coupe de la Ligue and the Coupe de France, clinching the domestic quadruple for the third time in four seasons. Despite their massive expenditure, in the Champions League, PSG lost to
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
in the round of 16, leading manager Unai Emery to leave the club at the end of the season.
![Lionel Messi 20180626](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Lionel_Messi_20180626.jpg)
In May 2018,
Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel (; born 29 August 1973) is a German professional football manager and former player who last managed Premier League club Chelsea.
Born in Krumbach, Tuchel retired at age 25 after a chronic knee cartilage injury; in 2000, he b ...
signed a two-year contract with PSG, replacing
Unai Emery
Unai Emery Etxegoien (born 3 November 1971) is a Spanish football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Aston Villa.
After a career spent playing mostly in Spain's Segunda División, Emery transitioned into coa ...
.
Paris Saint-Germain again fell in the Champions League round of 16 in
2018–19, suffering a shock 3–1 defeat at home to
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
after winning the first leg 2–0 at
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
. This season, they also won the Ligue 1 for the 8th time in their history, but lost in the
Coupe de France Final against
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
. PSG were eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue in embarrassing fashion, as they lost 2–1 at home to
Guingamp
Guingamp (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. With a population of 6,895 as of 2017, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Gui ...
in the quarterfinals. In the
2019–20 season, PSG won the Ligue 1 for the 9th time in their history, despite the season ending prematurely due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, and also reclaimed the Coupe de France defeating
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Saint-Étienne is the t ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
and won the last-ever Coupe de la Ligue defeating
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
in a penalty shootout. In the
2019–20 UEFA Champions League, PSG reached the semi-finals for the second time since 1995, after a last minute 2–1 win over
Atalanta
Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily known ...
, before losing to
Bayern Munich
Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which pla ...
1–0 in the finals in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, with former PSG player
Kingsley Coman
Kingsley Junior Coman (; born 13 June 1996) is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Bayern Munich and the France national team.
Trained at Paris Saint-Germain's academy, Coman moved to Juventus in 2014 on the exp ...
scoring the winning goal.
Tuchel's tenure at Paris Saint-Germain was marred by a fractured relationship with the club's hierarchy, leading him to be dismissed on 24 December, despite placing top of their Champions League group. On 2 January 2021, former PSG player
Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero (; born 2 March 1972) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the head coach of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain.
Pochettino played as a central defender and be ...
was appointed as the new head coach. PSG's good form in the Champions League continued in 2021 with a second consecutive UCL semi-final appearance, a first for the club. Domestically, PSG won the Coupe de France, but failed to retain the Ligue 1 title, finishing one point behind
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
, losing the league for the second time in four years.
During the 2021 summer transfer season, PSG completed one of the most historic transfer windows in football history, exercising the option to buy
Danilo Pereira
Danilo Luís Hélio Pereira (born 9 September 1991), known as Danilo Pereira (), is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Portugal national team. ...
and signing
Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi Mouh ( ar, أشرف حكيمي موح; born 4 November 1998) is a professional footballer who plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Morocco national team. He mainly plays as a right-back. Known for his speed, runs and ...
from
Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Football in Italy, Italian professional Association football, football ...
for a reported fee of €60 million. In addition, the club registered the free transfers of
Georginio Wijnaldum
Georginio Gregion Emile Wijnaldum (formerly Boateng; born 11 November 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma, on loan from Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, and the Netherlands national team.
A ...
,
Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos García (; born 30 March 1986) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Saint-Germain and the Spain national football team, Spain nationa ...
, and
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Gianluigi Donnarumma (born 25 February 1999) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Italy national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in world footbal ...
. PSG concluded their transfer window with the signing of one of the greatest players of all time and record
Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year (fo ...
winner
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
, who unexpectedly left Barcelona following the expiration of his contract, and promising defender
Nuno Mendes on an initial loan, which was made permanent in 2022. Later in the season, PSG went on to reclaim the Ligue 1 title for the record 10th time, but fell short in the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid in the round of 16, a tie amplified by the uncertainty surrounding Kylian Mbappé's future. However, on 21 May 2022, Mbappé extended his contract with PSG until 2025, despite speculations of a possible transfer to Real Madrid, which prompted
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
officials to file a complaint to
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
regarding accumulating losses of PSG in the previous years.
Unsatisfied with the club direction and lack of European success club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi promised mega-changes heading into next season and stated the team would not win the UEFA Champions League as currently constructed. This was in an interview with ''
Le Parisien
''Le Parisien'' (; French for "The Parisian") is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and its suburbs. It is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH.
Histor ...
.'' Changes were needed at the club on a very deep level and as such during the pre season for the
2022–23 season the club embarked on an ambitious rebuild. This began with the hiring of transfer market expert
Luís Campos who made his name at Monaco first and then Lille. A change in club ethos was noted, and was followed by the sacking of first team coach Pochettino, while an announcement for the hiring of
Christophe Galtier
Christophe Galtier (born 23 August 1966) is a French professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain.
A defender, Galtier was a journeyman professional who spent many of his 15 years as a ...
was made in quick succession. A busy pre-season followed with a new transfer policy of "no bling-bling", the club quickly signed
Nuno Mendes,
Vitinha,
Hugo Ekitike
Hugo Ekitike (born 20 June 2002) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain.
Early life
Hugo Ekitike was born on 20 June 2002 in Reims, Marne to a French father and a Cameroonian mother. ...
and
Nordi Mukiele
Nordi Mukiele Mulere (born 1 November 1997) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Saint-Germain and the France national ...
. Meanwhile a lot of older players who were not committed to the project were transfer listed.
Identity
Colours and mascot
Since their foundation, Paris Saint-Germain have represented both the city of
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and the nearby royal town of
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris.
Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ge ...
.
As a result, red, blue and white are the club's traditional colours.
The red and blue are Parisian colours, a nod to revolutionary figures
Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757 ...
and
Jean Sylvain Bailly
Jean Sylvain Bailly (; 15 September 1736 – 12 November 1793) was a French astronomer, mathematician, freemason, and political leader of the early part of the French Revolution. He presided over the Tennis Court Oath, served as the mayor of Par ...
, and the white is a symbol of
French royalty and Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
![20130120 - PSG-Toulouse - 015](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/20130120_-_PSG-Toulouse_-_015.jpg)
On the club's crest, the
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
in red and the blue background represent Paris, while the
fleur de lys
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
in white is a hint to the
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
The fleur de lys is a royal symbol as well and recalls that French King
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
was born in the town.
Throughout its history, PSG have brandished several crests, but all of them have featured the club's three historical colours.
Likewise, PSG's most iconic shirts have been predominantly red, blue or white, with the remaining two colours included as well.
The club's official mascot, Germain the
Lynx
A lynx is a type of wild cat.
Lynx may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Lynx (constellation)
* Lynx (Chinese astronomy)
* Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory
Places Canada
* Lynx, Ontar ...
, also sports PSG's traditional colours.
It was unveiled during the 2010
Tournoi de Paris
The Tournoi de Paris, also known as Trophée de Paris, was a pre-season association football invitational competition hosted by French club Paris Saint-Germain at their home ground Parc des Princes in Paris, France. The competition was founded in ...
in commemoration of the club's 40th anniversary, and can be seen entertaining kids in the stands of the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
or near the pitch with the players during the warm-up.
Anthems and mottos
"Allez Paris!," recorded by Belgian actress and singer
Annie Cordy
Léonie Juliana, Baroness Cooreman (16 June 1928 – 4 September 2020), also known by her stage name Annie Cordy, was a Belgian actress and singer. She appeared in more than 50 films from 1954 and staged many memorable appearances at Bruno Coq ...
in 1971, was the club's first official anthem. A PSG fan from the start, she was part of an association of hundreds of celebrities who contributed to the club's foundation in 1970.
The club's second anthem, "Allez Paris-Saint-Germain!" by Les Parisiens, was recorded in 1977, replacing Cordy's version. An initiative of historical PSG leader and music producer Charles Talar, he produced and released it under his homonym record label.
The song's chorus became a popular chant among PSG supporters during games.
A new version, also called "Allez Paris-Saint-Germain!," was recorded in 2010 as part of the club's 40th anniversary celebrations. Sung to the tune of "
Go West" by
Village People
Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following the release ...
, the lyrics were rewritten with suggestions made by fans. This is the club's current official anthem.
"Ô Ville Lumière" ("Oh City of Light"), to the tune of "
Flower of Scotland
"Flower of Scotland" is a Scottish song, frequently performed at special occasions and sporting events as an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.
The song was composed in the mid-1960s by Roy Williamson of the folk group the Corries. It w ...
," is another veritable club anthem for PSG supporters. Other notable chants from supporters' groups in the Boulogne and Auteuil stands include "Le Parc est à nous" ("The Parc is ours"), "Ici, c'est Paris!" ("This is Paris!"), and "Paris est magique!" ("Paris is magical!").
Both stands began exchanging these chants during PSG matches in the 1990s.
"Ici, c'est Paris!" and "Paris est magique!" are also the club's most iconic mottos.
"
Who Said I Would
"Who Said I Would" is a song performed by Phil Collins that was originally recorded for his 1985 album ''No Jacket Required'' but was released in 1991 as a single from his live album '' Serious Hits... Live!'' in the United States and Japan.
H ...
" by
Phill Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 an ...
is also a traditional anthem for the fans. The song has accompanied the players' entry into the field since 1992.
Iconic shirts
During their first three seasons of existence, the home shirt of Paris Saint-Germain was red with blue and white details in its sleeves and neck to bring together the three colours of the club: the red and blue of
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, and the white of
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris.
Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ge ...
.
During the 2010–11 season, PSG wore a red shirt during home matches to commemorate their 40th anniversary.
The connection between Paris Saint-Germain and the city's fashion houses is a longstanding one. French fashion designer
Daniel Hechter
Daniel Hechter (born 30 July 1938) is a French-Belgian fashion designer who is sometimes referred to as the inventor of ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter). He is also known for being the president of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. from 1974 to 1978, h ...
became PSG president in 1973 and designed the club's traditional home look that same year: a blue shirt with a red vertical stripe flanked by two thinner white stripes (blue-white-red-white-blue).
First worn in the
1973–74 season, the so-called "Hechter shirt" has remained the classic home identity of PSG ever since.
![PSG iconic shirts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/PSG_iconic_shirts.png)
The famous jersey made its debut during a home
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...
game against
Red Star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...
on November 10, 1973. This was also the club's maiden match at the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
. PSG won 3–1 as
Othniel Dossevi
Othniel Dossevi (born 13 January 1947) is a Togolese former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger and Forward (association football), forward.
Career
Dossevi started playing football in France ...
scored the club's first goal at the stadium as well as the first with the Hechter shirt.
PSG stars from the 1990s and 2000s like
Raí
Raí Souza Vieira de Oliveira (born 15 May 1965), known as Raí (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
He spent the better part of his 15-year career with São Paulo and Paris Saint-Germain, wi ...
,
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho () or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder, but was also deployed as a winger. Wide ...
and
Pauleta
Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes (born 28 April 1973), known as Pauleta (), is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a striker.
During 18 years as a senior he never played in the Primeira Liga, having spent 12 of those cam ...
are associated with this kit. While wearing it, the capital club reached five European semi-finals in a row between 1993 and 1997, claimed the
1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and achieved eight consecutive wins against ''
Le Classique
Le Classique (, The Classic) is the rivalry between French professional football clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. The duo are the two most successful clubs in French football, and the only French teams to have won major Eur ...
'' arch-rivals
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille (, ; oc, Olimpic de Marselha, ), also known simply as Marseille or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional men's football club based in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Founded in 1899, the club pl ...
between 2002 and 2004.
The general belief is that Hechter based his creation on the red-and-white jersey worn by
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
, the dominant team in Europe at the time, but with the French flag in mind.
Hechter himself has denied this, though, instead claiming he was inspired by the Ford Mustang. He transposed the car's hood stripes on the shirt and employed the three colours of the club.
The Hechter shirt has two alternate versions: the "reversed Hechter" (red-white-blue-white-red), introduced in the 1974–75 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, 1974–75 season, and the "white Hechter" (white-blue-red-blue-white), which premiered in the 1994–95 season.
It was with the club's most iconic away outfit, though, that fans saw the first big PSG team which won their maiden
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and profession ...
titles in 1982 and 1983, experienced their first European campaign in 1983 and claimed their maiden league crown in 1986. The shirt was white with blue and red vertical stripes on the left.
Like the Hechter jersey, it debuted in the
1973–74 season as the away kit.
Promoted by PSG president
Francis Borelli
Francis Borelli (8 April 1932 – 2 October 2007) was a French businessman. He was the chairman of Paris Saint-Germain from 1978 to 1991.
Parc des Princes
The west stand of the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater sta ...
, the white shirt was the club's home identity from 1981 to 1990.
Now known as the "Borelli shirt," it is synonym with PSG legends from the 1980s like
Safet Sušić
Safet "Pape" Sušić (; born 13 April 1955) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of TFF First League club Akhisarspor. He was a gifted midfielder known for his dribbling skills and techn ...
, Luis Fernández and
Dominique Bathenay
Dominique Bathenay (born 13 February 1954) is a French former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder and coach.
Career
Bathenay played for AS Saint-Étienne from 1973 to 1978, and for Paris Saint-Germain F.C., P ...
.
Crest evolution
The club's first crest was basically the same as the original
Paris FC
Paris Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris FC or simply PFC, is a French professional football club based in Paris, that competes in the Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. Paris FC play their home matches at the Stade Ch ...
(PFC) logo. Having to merge and give birth to PSG using
Stade Saint-Germain's stadium, the PFC crest kept its original design but the name below it changed from "Paris FC" to "Paris Saint-Germain Football Club." This badge consisted of a blue football with a red vessel inside it. The latter is a historic symbol of
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and is present in the city's coat of arms. The name of the club was written below in red.
![Logo Paris SG 1992](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Logo_Paris_SG_1992.svg)
PSG, however, split from PFC in 1972 and thus needed a new crest. Representing both Paris and
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris.
Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ge ...
, the club's second crest became the basis of the one the fans know today. The round logo featured the
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
in red against a blue background and, underneath it, two Saint-Germain symbols in white: a
fleur de lys
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
and
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
's cradle.
Created by Christian Lentretien, former PSG board member and publicist by profession, this crest was first used in 1972 and lasted until 1982.
The
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
, the club's home stadium, appeared below it between 1982 and 1990.
The stadium was dropped from the crest in 1990. Two years later, then club owners
Canal+
Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
radically changed it in 1992. The new model had the acronym "PSG" in white against a blue-white-red-white-blue background (like the colour pattern of the Hechter shirt) with "Paris Saint-Germain" underneath in white against a black background. Under pressure from supporters, the traditional crest returned in 1995 with "Paris Saint-Germain" above the tower and "1970" below the cradle. This logo went through a slight facelift in 2002, most notably featuring a darker shade of blue.
At the request of the club's Qatari owners, the traditional crest underwent a major makeover in 2013.
“Paris” is now written in big white bold letters above a large
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
, clearly putting forward the brand “Paris” instead of “Paris Saint-Germain.” Underneath it, “Saint-Germain” is written in smaller letters below the
fleur de lys
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
.
The cradle and the club's founding year "1970" were left out.
PSG deputy general manager Jean-Claude Blanc said: “We are called Paris Saint-Germain but, above all, we are called Paris.”
Friendly tournaments
Paris Saint-Germain used to host two very famous invitational competitions: the
Tournoi de Paris
The Tournoi de Paris, also known as Trophée de Paris, was a pre-season association football invitational competition hosted by French club Paris Saint-Germain at their home ground Parc des Princes in Paris, France. The competition was founded in ...
and the Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy.
Regarded as French football's most prestigious friendly tournament, the Tournoi de Paris is considered a precursor of both the Intercontinental Cup (football), Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
PSG began hosting it in 1975 and were crowned champions a record seven times.
Held at the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
, the Tournoi de Paris was last organized in 2012.
The Tournoi Indoor de Paris-Bercy was an Indoor soccer, indoor football tournament founded by PSG in 1984 and held annually until 1991 at the AccorHotels Arena in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. Played indoors on a synthetic field and featuring seven-a-side teams, the competition featured hosts PSG and five more clubs. The Parisians lifted the trophy on two occasions, more than any other club.
Grounds
Stadiums
![PSG-Nantes Parc des Princes 05](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/PSG-Nantes_Parc_des_Princes_05.jpg)
Paris Saint-Germain played their first game at their current home stadium, the 47,929-seater
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
, against
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...
promotion rivals
Red Star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...
on November 10, 1973.
It was the curtain-raiser for that season's opening
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
match between
Paris FC
Paris Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris FC or simply PFC, is a French professional football club based in Paris, that competes in the Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. Paris FC play their home matches at the Stade Ch ...
and FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, Sochaux.
PSG moved into the ground upon its return to Ligue 1 in 1974, ironically the same year that Paris FC were relegated. Up until that point it had been the home venue of Paris FC.
During their early years, PSG played at several grounds including the Stade Municipal Georges Lefèvre, the Stade Jean-Bouin (Paris), Stade Jean-Bouin, the Stade Bauer, the Stade Yves-du-Manoir and even the Parc a few times despite the reluctance of Paris FC.
Ever since PSG moved to the Parc, the pitches of the Georges Lefèvre have hosted training sessions and home matches for the club's academy sides.
The complex is located in
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris.
Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ge ...
, just across the street from the
Camp des Loges
The Camp des Loges, also known as Ooredoo Training Centre for sponsorship reasons, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is the training ground of French football club Paris Saint-Germain. The current version of the Camp des Loges opened in Nove ...
, the club's training center.
Training facilities
Located in
Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris.
Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ge ...
, the
Camp des Loges
The Camp des Loges, also known as Ooredoo Training Centre for sponsorship reasons, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is the training ground of French football club Paris Saint-Germain. The current version of the Camp des Loges opened in Nove ...
has been the club's Training ground (association football), training ground since 1970. The current Camp des Loges, built on the same site as the old one, was inaugurated in November 2008. It was then renamed Ooredoo Training Centre in September 2013 as part of a sponsorship deal with Ooredoo.
The Paris Saint-Germain Training Center will be the club's new Training ground (association football), training ground and sports complex.
It will replace the Camp des Loges upon its completion in June 2023.
Owned and financed by the club, the venue will bring together PSG's male football, handball and judo teams, as well as the football and handball academies.
The club, however, will remain closely linked to their historic birthplace in Saint-Germain-en-Laye as the Camp des Loges will become the training ground of the female football team and academy.
Records and statistics
![Kiev-PSG (5)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Kiev-PSG_%285%29.jpg)
Paris Saint-Germain holds many records, most notably being the Football records in France#Total titles won (1918–present), most successful French club in history in terms of official titles won, with 47.
They are the record holders of all national competitions, having clinched ten
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
championships, fourteen Coupe de France, nine Coupe de la Ligue, and eleven Trophée des Champions. Their trophy cabinet also includes one
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...
title.
In international football, PSG have claimed one
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
and one
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, 'betting pool'),Most precisely, from (football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International Foot ...
.
Their victory in the
1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup makes PSG the sole French side to have won this trophy, one of only two French clubs to have won a List of UEFA club competition winners, major European competition, and the youngest European team to do so.
They are also the only side to have won the Coupe de France without conceding a single goal (1992–93 Coupe de France, 1992–93 and 2016–17 Coupe de France, 2016–17), five Coupe de la Ligue in a row (2014–2018), four back-to-back Coupe de France (2015–2018), and eight consecutive Trophée des Champions (2013–2020).
PSG have won all four national titles in a single season on four occasions. This feat is known as the List of association football teams to have won four or more trophies in one season#Four titles in one season, domestic quadruple. The Red and Blues have completed the Double (association football)#France, domestic double, the Double (association football)#League and League Cup Double, league and league cup double, the Double (association football)#Domestic Cup Double, domestic cup double, the Treble (association football)#Domestic trebles, domestic treble and the Three-peat#France, league three-peat several times as well. Therefore, PSG are the club with the most domestic doubles and league and league cup doubles, one of two sides to have achieved the league three-peat twice, and the only team to have won the domestic cup double, the domestic treble and the domestic quadruple.
Since their inception, PSG have completed 52 seasons, of which 49 have been played in the French football league system, highest division in
French football
Association football is the most popular sport in France. The French Football Federation (FFF, Fédération Française de Football) is the national governing body and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of association football in the cou ...
, known as
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
.
In 2021–22 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, 2021–22, they celebrated their 48th consecutive campaign in Ligue 1, which makes them the competitions's longest-serving club.
PSG have played continuously in Ligue 1 from the 1974–75 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, 1974–75 season onwards.
Since then, the Parisians have won ten league titles, finishing first more frequently than in any other position.
Having come second in nine league campaigns, PSG have therefore made up the top two spots on 19 occasions.
They have also reached the top five 27 times, which represents more than half of the club's seasons in Ligue 1.
PSG's lowest-ever finish is 16th, both in 1971–72 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, 1971–72 (their first in Ligue 1) and 2007–08 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, 2007–08, when they escaped relegation on the final day of the season, with a 2–1 win at
Sochaux
Sochaux () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.
Geography
Sochaux lies east of Montbéliard, and southeast of Paris.
Population
Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''.
Economy
Soc ...
.
Supporters
![OM-PSG CF finale-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/OM-PSG_CF_finale-1.jpg)
Paris Saint-Germain is the most popular football club in France and one of the most widely supported teams in the world.
Famous PSG fans include Nicolas Sarkozy, Tony Parker, Fabio Quartararo, Tom Brady, Patrick Dempsey, Victoria Azarenka, Teddy Riner, and DJ Snake.
Lacking a big passionate fanbase, the club began offering cheaper season tickets to young supporters in 1976.
These fans were placed in the Kop K, located in the K section of the Borelli stand at the
Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
.
Following an increase in ticket prices, Kop K supporters moved to the Boulogne stand in 1978, and the Kop of Boulogne (KoB) was born.
There, the club's first Italian-style ultras, ultra group, Boulogne Boys, was founded in 1985.
Other KoB groups, however, took British hooligans as dubious role models and violence rapidly escalated.
PSG supporters' groups have been linked to football hooliganism ever since.
PSG owners
Canal+
Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
responded in 1991 by encouraging and financing non-violent fans of the KoB stand to take place in the Auteuil stand at the other end of the Parc des Princes. The Virage Auteuil was born, alongside Supras Auteuil, its most notorious ultras.
At first the measure worked but, slowly, a violent rivalry arose between the two stands.
Things came to a head in 2010 before a match against
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille (, ; oc, Olimpic de Marselha, ), also known simply as Marseille or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional men's football club based in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Founded in 1899, the club pl ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Boulogne fan Yann Lorence was killed following a fight between groups from both stands outside the Parc des Princes, forcing PSG president
Robin Leproux
Robin Leproux (born 22 July 1959) is a French businessman. He was the president of French football club Paris Saint-Germain from 2009 to 2011. Leproux was graduated from Reims Management School (Now NEOMA Business School) at 1983.
Career
Prio ...
to take action.
The club exiled the supporters' groups from the Parc des Princes and banned them from all PSG matches in what was known as Plan Leproux.
It made PSG pay the price in terms of atmosphere, with one of Europe's most feared venues now subdued.
For their part, former Virage Auteuil supporters formed the Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP) in February 2016, with the aim of reclaiming their place at the stadium.
In October 2016, after a six-year absence, the club agreed to their return.
Grouped in the Auteuil end of the stadium, the CUP currently is the only ultra association officially recognized by PSG.
The ultra movement has also started to come back to life in the Boulogne stand. New groups Block Parisii, Paname Rebirth and Résistance Parisienne are trying to convince the club of relaunching the Kop of Boulogne.
Rivalries
Le Classique
Paris Saint-Germain shares an intense rivalry with
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille (, ; oc, Olimpic de Marselha, ), also known simply as Marseille or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional men's football club based in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Founded in 1899, the club pl ...
; matches between the two teams are referred to as
Le Classique
Le Classique (, The Classic) is the rivalry between French professional football clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. The duo are the two most successful clubs in French football, and the only French teams to have won major Eur ...
.
The clubs are the two Football records and statistics in France#Total titles won (1918–present), most successful clubs in French football, and the only French teams to have won List of UEFA club competition winners, major European trophies.
Therefore, the fixture is the biggest rivalry in France.
PSG and OM were the dominant teams prior to the emergence of Olympique Lyonnais in the 2000s,
and are the most followed French teams internationally.
Both clubs are at or near the top of the French attendance lists each season.
Their meetings during the 1970s gave little indication the two would become major adversaries.
The newly formed Parisians were trying to assemble a competitive team, while the Olympians were
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
contenders.
The rivalry began in earnest in 1986 when PSG won their first championship and OM was bought by
Bernard Tapie
Bernard Roger Tapie (; 26 January 1943 – 3 October 2021) was a French businessman, politician and occasional actor, singer, and TV host. He was Minister of City Affairs in the government of Pierre Bérégovoy.
Life and career
Tapie was bor ...
.
By the end of the decade, PSG was fighting for the 1988–89 French Division 1, 1988–89 title against Tapie's Marseille.
The accusations made by PSG president
Francis Borelli
Francis Borelli (8 April 1932 – 2 October 2007) was a French businessman. He was the chairman of Paris Saint-Germain from 1978 to 1991.
Parc des Princes
The west stand of the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater sta ...
against Tapie and OM French football bribery scandal, for fixing matches during that season were a contributor to their growing rivalry.
In the 1990s, tensions between the two sides escalated. French TV channel
Canal+
Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
bought PSG in 1991 with the aim of breaking Marseille's hegemony but then agreed with Tapie to emphasize the animosity between them as a way to promote the league.
With equivalent financial backing, PSG and OM became the main contenders in the title race.
Both sides were less successful in the late 1990s and the 2000s but the rivalry remained strong.
Since the 2010s, the matchup has been dominated by PSG, and the significant investment of their Qatari owners has created a wide gap between the clubs.
Ownership and finances
![Mbappe Messi Neymar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Mbappe_Messi_Neymar.jpg)
During its first three years of existence, Paris Saint-Germain were List of fan-owned sports teams, fan-owned and had 20,000 members.
The club was run by board members Guy Crescent, Pierre-Étienne Guyot and Henri Patrelle.
A group of wealthy French businessmen, led by
Daniel Hechter
Daniel Hechter (born 30 July 1938) is a French-Belgian fashion designer who is sometimes referred to as the inventor of ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter). He is also known for being the president of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. from 1974 to 1978, h ...
and
Francis Borelli
Francis Borelli (8 April 1932 – 2 October 2007) was a French businessman. He was the chairman of Paris Saint-Germain from 1978 to 1991.
Parc des Princes
The west stand of the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater sta ...
, would then buy the club in 1973.
PSG changed hands in 1991, when
Canal+
Canal+ (Canal Plus, , meaning 'Channel Plus'; sometimes abbreviated C+ or Canal) is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several ki ...
took over, and then again in 2006 with the arrival of
Colony Capital
DigitalBridge Group, Inc. is a global digital infrastructure investment firm. The company owns, invests in and operates businesses such as cell towers, data centers, fiber, small cells, and edge infrastructure. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Digita ...
.
Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ( ar, تميم بن حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني; born 3 June 1980, Doha, Qatar) is the Emir of Qatar who succeeded his father, Sheikh Hamad, after Hamad abdicated in his favour.
Tamim is the fourth son ...
, the
Emir of Qatar
The Emir, or Amir, of the State of Qatar ( ar, أمیر دولة قطر) is the monarch and head of state of the country. He is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and guarantor of the Constitution. He holds the most powerful positio ...
, has been PSG's owner since 2011 through Qatar Sports Investments (QSI).
QSI acquired a majority stake in June 2011 and then became the club's sole owner in March 2012.
This means PSG are a state-owned club, the only of its kind, and thus one of the richest teams in the world.
QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been PSG president since the takeover.
Al Thani, however, has the final word on every major decision of the club.
He is both the chairman of the QIA and the founder of QSI.
Upon its arrival, QSI pledged to form a team capable of winning the UEFA Champions League.
PSG have spent over €1.3bn on player transfers since the summer of 2011.
These massive expenditures have translated in PSG's domination of French football but have not yet brought home the coveted UCL trophy as well as causing problems with
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
's UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations, Financial Fair Play regulations.
PSG currently have the
sixth-highest revenue in the footballing world with an annual turnover of €556m according to
Deloitte
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of profession ...
, and are
the world's seventh-most valuable football club, worth $3.2bn according to ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' magazine.
PSG's strong financial position has been sustained by the club's Qatari owners;
the team's on-pitch success;
high-profile signings, including
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović (, ; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. Ibrahimović is renowned for his acrobatic strikes and volleys, powerful long-range sho ...
,
Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Paris Sain ...
,
Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé Lottin (born 20 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is renowned for his dribb ...
and
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
;
and lucrative sponsorship deals with the Qatar Tourism Authority, Nike, Inc., Nike, Air Jordan, Accor and Qatar Airways.
Honours
:''As of the 2022 Trophée des Champions.''
*
* shared record
Players
First-team squad
:''As of 24 September 2022.''
Elite group
Out on loan
Other players under contract
Personnel
:''As of 16 July 2022.''
Management
Technical staff
References
External links
*
Paris Saint-Germain – Ligue 1Paris Saint-Germain – UEFA.com
{{Authority control
Paris Saint-Germain F.C.,
Football clubs in Paris
Association football clubs established in 1970
G-14 clubs
16th arrondissement of Paris
Ligue 1 clubs
1970 establishments in France
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winning clubs, P
UEFA Intertoto Cup winning clubs
Unrelegated association football clubs
Football clubs in Île-de-France