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History of Paris Saint-Germain FC
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Paris Saint-Germain FC were founded in 1970 following the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain. PSG made an immediate impact, winning Ligue 2 and thus achieving promotion to Ligue 1 in their first season. Their momentum was soon halted, and the club split in 1972. Paris FC remained in the top flight, while PSG were relegated to Division 3. After two consecutive promotions, PSG quickly returned to the top flight in 1974 and moved to the Parc des Princes.
The club's first trophies arrived in the 1980s. Led by players such as Safet Sušić, Luis Fernandez and Dominique Rocheteau, the Parisians claimed back-to-back Coupe de France in 1982 and 1983, and their first Ligue 1 title in 1986. A steep decline followed, but the takeover by Canal+ in 1991 revitalized PSG. Led by David Ginola, George Weah and Raí, the club won nine trophies and reached five consecutive European semi-finals during the 1990s. Notably, Paris captured their second league title in 1994 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996, with the legendary Luis Fernandez now as manager.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Parisians were struggling to get back to the top despite the magic of Ronaldinho and the goals of Pauleta. Five more trophies followed: three Coupe de France, a Coupe de la Ligue and a UEFA Intertoto Cup, but PSG became better known for struggling through one crisis after another. Inevitably, Canal+ sold the club to Colony Capital in 2006. However, the situation only worsened, and PSG spent the next two seasons avoiding relegation.
The club's fortunes changed dramatically with the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments as owners in 2011. Since then, PSG have invested heavily in signings of world-class players such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, the latter two being the most expensive transfers in football history. As a result, PSG have dominated French football, winning 37 trophies: eleven league titles, eight Coupe de France, six Coupe de la Ligue and eleven Trophée des Champions. They have also become a regular in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, reaching the final for the first time in their history in 2020 and winning their first title in 2025.
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Early years (1970–1973)
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Merger and Ligue 2 title
Thanks to the support of 20,000 subscribers eager to see a great club reborn in Paris, a group of Parisian businessmen, including Guy Crescent and Pierre-Étienne Guyot, convinced the management of Stade Saint-Germain, led by club president Henri Patrelle, to join their project.[1][2] As a result, Paris Saint-Germain Football Club were formed on 17 June 1970, following the merger of Crescent and Guyot's virtual side, Paris FC, with the team from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 15km west of Paris, which had just been promoted to Ligue 2.[1][3] Guyot was elected as the club's first president on 26 June 1970.[4] PSG retain the creation of the club's association on 12 August 1970 as its foundation date.[1][5] The merger was made official by the Official Journal of the French Republic and the French Football Federation (FFF) a fortnight later, on 27 August 1970.[1][3]
Paris FC contributed financial backing, while Stade Saint-Germain provided the sporting infrastructure: Ligue 2 status, the Camp des Loges training center, the club's first manager Pierre Phelipon, and most of the players, including Bernard Guignedoux, Michel Prost and Camille Choquier.[6] PSG bolstered their squad by signing French national team captain Jean Djorkaeff.[7] Their first official match was a 1–1 draw against Poitiers on 23 August 1970. Guignedoux scored the club's first goal from a free kick.[8] PSG would go on to win the Ligue 2 title and achieve promotion to Ligue 1 in their first season.[1][2][9]
Ligue 1 debut and Paris FC split
PSG finished 16th, securing top-flight status in their inaugural Ligue 1 campaign, but the Council of Paris threatened to withdraw their financial support unless the club changed its name to Paris FC, stripping it of its Saint-Germain roots.[1][2] PSG vice-president and former Stade Saint-Germain president Patrelle refused, and on 20 June 1972, the club split in two.[2][10] PSG president Crescent left for Paris FC, who retained their Ligue 1 place, and Patrelle took the reins at PSG, who were administratively relegated to Division 3.[1][2][11] Most of the players, including captain Djorkaeff and Guignedoux, were tied to professional contracts and remained with Paris FC, while manager Phelipon left after his contract expired.[6][8][12]
Only Choquier, Patrice Py, Jean-Louis Leonetti, Bernard Béréau and Jean-Louis Brost remained for the 1972–73 season.[13] Led by manager Robert Vicot, PSG achieved instant promotion to Ligue 2 with a young but talented squad.[6][14] Among them were PSG Youth Academy graduate Éric Renaut, Othniel Dossevi, Michel Marella, Jacques Laposte and Christian André, the main architect thanks to his 27 goals in 35 matches.[15][16] The club finished second in Group West, six points behind Quevilly, just missing promotion. However, Quevilly, struggling financially, announced it would forgo promotion shortly after the end of the season, and PSG took their place in Ligue 2 by default.[1][6][7]
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Daniel Hechter years (1973–1978)
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Return to the top flight
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During its first three years of existence, PSG were fan-owned, using a system similar to that of Spanish clubs. Everything changed in 1973, when Henri Patrelle, seeking financing, handed control to a group of wealthy French businessmen. Led by fashion designer Daniel Hechter, who replaced Patrelle as PSG president, and entrepreneur Francis Borelli, they acquired the club following its promotion.[1][2] With their financial backing, PSG surprised national football by appointing French legend Just Fontaine as sporting director and signing several prestigious players, including Jean Deloffre, Louis Cardiet, Jacky Bade and Jean-Pierre Dogliani, considered the club's first star.[6][7][17]
The first PSG game at the Parc des Princes was against Red Star on 10 November 1973, during the 1973–74 season. They won 3–1, with Othniel Dossevi scoring the club's first goal at the stadium.[18] PSG also began their tradition of brilliant Coupe de France performances, reaching the quarter-finals. Better still, they finished second in Group B, four points behind Red Star, qualifying for the Ligue 1 promotion play–offs against Valenciennes.[1][6] PSG lost 2–1 in the first leg, but staged a stunning 4–2 comeback win at the Parc des Princes on 4 June 1974 to secure promotion to the top flight. Overcome with emotion, Fontaine collapsed on the pitch, suffering a heart attack. Fortunately, he recovered and was carried in the players' arms to celebrate. Since then, PSG have always played in the first division of French football.[1][19]
Ironically, in 1974, Paris FC were relegated to Ligue 2 just as PSG were promoted to the top division, handing over their stadium, the Parc des Princes, to their rival Parisian club. PSG has played there ever since.[1][6][14] Hechter opened his checkbook again in the 1974–75 season, paying a record €205k to sign Algerian star Mustapha Dahleb in July 1974.[7][20] Dahleb and François M'Pelé scored 50 goals between them, but PSG were still not competitive enough to challenge for the league title and finished in a disappointing 15th place.[6][21]
The club's performance in the Coupe de France was the highlight of the season.[6] PSG thrashed Sochaux 5–0 on aggregate in the round of 16, setting them up to face Olympique de Marseille in the quarter-finals.[22] The Parisians visited the Stade Vélodrome as clear underdogs. Marseille were leading by two goals until M'Pelé suddenly scored twice to revive PSG's qualification hopes.[23] Enraged by the result, OM fans attacked the PSG bus after the final whistle. M'Pelé believes this cup match is the true origin of the rivalry between both clubs.[23][24] In the second leg, PSG won 2–0 and reached the semi-finals, a first for a Parisian club since Stade Français in 1965, before narrowly losing to Lens.[6][21][25]
Big signings, mid-table team
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Despite an ambitious recruitment drive in the 1975–76 season, which included the signing of established players such as Humberto Coelho and Jean-Pierre Tokoto, the league campaign ended in a lowly 14th-place finish, marked by a rift between manager Fontaine and captain Dogliani. Fontaine, who had replaced Vicot earlier in the season, stripped Dogliani of the captain's armband. On the bright side, PSG reached the quarterfinals of the Coupe de France for the third consecutive season.[26] The club also inaugurated its first PSG Youth Academy center in November 1975 at the Camp des Loges. Jean-Marc Pilorget and Thierry Morin were among the first players to come through the academy, making their professional debuts against Stade de Reims in December 1975.[27]
A new chapter began in the 1976–77 season; the club's first star, Dogliani, retired, while Velibor Vasović replaced Fontaine.[28] Vasović, the first foreigner to ever manage PSG, arrived in the French capital with the aim of playing in Europe the following season.[29][30] After a disastrous start to the campaign, Dahleb's 26 goals were not enough and the Parisians finished in ninth place.[29] After failing to qualify for Europe, Vasović resigned near the end of the season. Former PSG goalkeeper Ilija Pantelić took charge of the last four league matches.[30]
Jean-Michel Larqué, who had hung up his boots to become manager for the 1977–78 season, was forced to step back into the fold to fill the void left by the failed transfer of Lyon playmaker Serge Chiesa. Larqué was the club's second and final player-manager to date, the other being Phelipon.[12][31] PSG finished in 11th place despite several star signings, including Argentine striker Carlos Bianchi, who finished Ligue 1's top scorer that season with 37 goals in 38 matches, and defenders Jean-Pierre Adams and Ramón Heredia.[6][32] Bianchi was Hechter's last major signing.[6]
In January 1978, the FFF banned Hechter for life for organizing a ticket-selling scheme at the Parc des Princes.[17][33][34] PSG beat Marseille 5–1 in his final match at the stadium as club president that month. Dahleb offered Hechter the match ball after the final whistle, and he was triumphantly carried in the arms of the players as the fans chanted his name.[33] The following day, Francis Borelli, previously vice president, assumed the presidency.[6][33][35]
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Francis Borelli years (1978–1991)
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Climbing the league table
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Despite a disappointing first season, the club gave Larqué a vote of confidence in the 1978–79 season, signing French international mainstays Dominique Baratelli and Dominique Bathenay in the hope that PSG would finally get closer to the top of the league. But the campaign was another failure.[36] In August, after a catastrophic start to the season, Larqué resigned to focus on his role as a player at the club.[31][36]
Pierre Alonzo took over until November 1978, when he unexpectedly resigned. His replacement, Vasović, had yet to arrive and PSG visited Monaco early that month. Club president Borelli announced the starting lineup that day. This is the only time PSG have played an official match without a manager on the bench. They lost 2–1.[36][37] Bianchi claimed his second consecutive Ligue 1 top scorer title before moving from 13th-placed PSG to French champions Strasbourg.[36] M'Pelé also left the club with an impressive scoring tally of 97 goals.[38]
Vasović's second spell in Paris got off to a promising start in the 1979–80 season.[39] PSG signed Portuguese playmaker João Alves, who guided the Parisians to their best league debut since 1974, with a draw away to Lyon and a home win against Marseille in his first two matches.[39][40] A week later, Alves suffered a near-career-ending injury at Sochaux in August 1979, keeping him sidelined for five months. Alves returned in early 1980 but never fully regained fitness.[40] In October 1979, PSG also lost their manager. Vasović was forced to resign as he was not officially qualified to coach in France. Former PSG goalkeeper Choquier took over until the end of the month, before Georges Peyroche arrived in the French capital in November 1979.[30][39] Against all odds, Peyroche excelled and led PSG to seventh place, the highest league finish in the club's history at the time.[39]
PSG sold Alves to Benfica in the 1980–81 season, but instead signed Saint-Étienne winger Dominique Rocheteau to play as a striker alongside Nambatingue Toko and Boubacar Sarr. With Dahleb as the playmaker, the club enjoyed its most promising season to date.[41] PSG finished fifth in the league, just missing out on European competitions, but cemented themselves as a top-flight side under Peyroche.[35][41][42] Despite being eliminated on away goals, another highlight was the club's historic 5–3 Coupe de France victory against Nantes at the Parc des Princes.[41]
Cup double and European debut
Peyroche slightly modified his squad for the 1981–82 season with the signings of Raymond Domenech, Michel N'Gom, Daniel Sanchez and Ivica Šurjak. The Parisians attempted to qualify for Europe via Ligue 1 but fell short at the end of the season, finishing in seventh place.[43] Reaching the 1982 Coupe de France final against Michel Platini's Saint-Étienne gave them another chance.[19][35][42] Toko opened the scoring for PSG on the hour mark from a Šurjak cross. Platini equalized twenty minutes later, forcing extra time, and then doubled his personal tally, giving Saint-Étienne the lead.[19] Rocheteau, following another assist from Šurjak, scored an unexpected equalizer against his former team in the dying seconds of the match.[18][19]
PSG fans invaded the pitch in joy, while Borelli knelt and kissed the turf of the Parc des Princes. After a 30-minute interruption, a penalty shoot-out sealed PSG's first major title. Baratelli saved Saint-Étienne's last attempt and Pilorget converted the winning penalty.[18][19][35] This success opened the doors to Europe for PSG for the first time in their history, securing a place in the 1982–83 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.[9][44] PSG were the first Parisian club to play in Europe since the 1960s, when Racing Paris and Stade Français participated in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[45]
Expectations were enormous, and PSG strengthened their squad with Kees Kist, Osvaldo Ardiles and Safet Sušić, who remains to this day one of the greatest players in the club's history. They joined an already well-rounded squad, featuring experienced players Bathenay, Rocheteau, Dahleb and Toko, as well as promising youngsters Luis Fernandez, Jean-Claude Lemoult and Pilorget.[46][47]
PSG made their European debut against Lokomotiv Sofia in the first round.[44][48] Despite a 1–0 loss in Bulgaria, PSG played brilliantly at home, winning 5–1. Toko's stunning half-volley sealed their qualification.[45][46] After defeating Swansea City, a record 49,575 fans packed the Parc des Princes for their quarter-final clash with Waterschei.[35][49][50] PSG's 2–0 victory was well-earned, thanks to Fernandez's outstanding performance and opening goal. They could have scored more and would later regret it, losing the return leg 3–0 in extra time.[50][51]
Domestically, the results were equally satisfying. PSG achieved their first podium finish, in third place, and won their second cup title, beating Nantes in the 1983 Coupe de France final.[7][35][52] Pascal Zaremba scored early for PSG, but Nantes, chasing the league and cup double, came from behind to lead at halftime. In the second half, PSG turned the score around: Sušić equalized and set up Toko for the winning goal, giving PSG a 3–2 victory.[42][52] The campaign ended on a sad note, as Peyroche left the club to take a sabbatical.[47]
First league title
PSG qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup after successfully defending their Coupe de France title.[50][53] Their first-round opponent were Glentoran, whom they beat 4–2 on aggregate to set up a tie against Platini's Juventus.[35][50][54] PSG held their own, drawing both legs but bowing out due to the away goals rule against the eventual champions. They came very close to eliminating Juve in the second leg in Turin: a Sušić free kick hit the post and Pilorget missed a clear chance just before the final whistle.[35][50]
The Parisians struggled to maintain their domestic form under Lucien Leduc in the 1983–84 season. The two-time Coupe de France winners were eliminated early on, and a subsequent poor run of form toward the end of the season led to Leduc's resignation, as PSG faced the prospect of missing out on European football. Replaced by Peyroche, back after a ten-month absence, Paris bounced back and defeated Toulouse in the final game of the season. Sušić's goal, the only goal of the match, secured PSG a fourth-place finish, synonymous with UEFA Europa League action next season.[47][35]
Deprived of Dahleb, who left after ten years at the club, Paris endured a difficult 1984–85 season.[55] Peyroche was sacked by Borelli in March 1985 due to poor results, but his replacement, Christian Coste, failed to turn things around, and PSG finished the league in 13th place.[6][42][55] They still managed to reach the 1985 Coupe de France final, their third in four years, but lost to Monaco.[6][35][55] Paris were also shocked by unlikely finalists Videoton in the second round of the Europa League. They lost both matches, the first a resounding 4–2 defeat at the Parc des Princes.[56] Sušić's five assists in PSG's 7–1 home win over Bastia in September 1984 were the highlight of the season, and is a club record that still stands today.[55]
PSG were crowned Ligue 1 champions for the first time in their history in the 1985–86 season under Gérard Houllier, who had replaced Coste, with a memorable 26-match unbeaten run en route to the title.[6][35][57] They dominated the championship from start to finish thanks in large part to players such as Sušić, Bathenay, Fernandez, Rocheteau and Joël Bats, who formed the backbone of the team.[6][42][58] PSG were the first Parisian club to win the league in 50 years since Racing Paris in the 1935–36 season. They also came close to winning the league and cup double, narrowly losing in the Coupe de France semi-finals to eventual champions Bordeaux.[57]
Decline and Canal+ takeover
Fernandez, Jean-Claude Lemoult and Thierry Morin left before the 1986–87 season, and PSG attempted to replace them with more attacking firepower. Houllier signed strikers Vahid Halilhodžić, Daniel Xuereb and Jules Bocandé, who joined Rocheteau in an extremely attacking, but unbalanced squad. The result was a seventh-place finish in the league, an early exit from the Coupe de France, and a disappointing first UEFA Champions League campaign, where the French champions fell at the first hurdle to underdogs Vítkovice.[42][59][60]
PSG's championship-winning side continued to crumble in the 1987–88 season with the departure of Rocheteau. World-class midfielders Gabriel Calderón and Ray Wilkins arrived in Paris, but they too failed to turn things around. Wilkins made only ten appearances before joining Rangers in December 1987. After a run of seven defeats in eight matches, Houllier stepped back and became the club's sporting director in October 1987.[61]
Erick Mombaerts was appointed manager, but he also failed to steer the ship and PSG ended the year in the relegation zone, prompting the return of Houllier in February 1988 for the second half of the campaign.[30][61] They bounced back just in time, with Daniel Xuereb scoring the only goal of the game away to Le Havre on the final day to avoid relegation with a dramatic 15th-place finish.[62] With top-flight status secured, Houllier left the club in June 1988 following the end of the season.[30]
PSG briefly recovered from the crisis under Tomislav Ivić in the 1988–89 season.[35][63][64] The clashes with Marseille increased in importance and ferocity as they battled for the title, with Borelli accusing them of match-fixing.[65][66][67] In May 1989, the two teams met for the title decider at the Stade Vélodrome.[64][67] Played amid an electric atmosphere, the trophy looked set to go to league leaders Paris with the score tied at 0–0 and only a few seconds remaining.[67] But a 25-yard shot from Franck Sauzée stunned PSG goalkeeper Bats and Marseille won the championship.[35][67][68]
The Parisians resumed their disappointing run of form in the 1989–90 season, finishing fifth in the league and putting in a mixed performance in the Europa League.[69] They narrowly defeated Kuusysi in the first round, but fell just one goal short of eliminating eventual champions Juventus in the second round.[35][70][71] During pre-season, youngster Daniel Bravo joined the club. He would go on to become one of PSG's most prominent figures in the 1990s. Meanwhile, Pilorget left after 14 years and a club-record 435 appearances.[69]
Poor results, highlighted by their ninth-place finish in the 1990–91 season, and their rivalry with Racing Paris in the 1980s for dominance in the capital, finally caught up with them.[72][73] The club's budget exploded, causing debt to spiral out of control under Borelli's mismanagement, ultimately leading to financial collapse.[2][72][42] In April 1991, with the club in serious danger of bankruptcy, PSG fans demanded Borelli's resignation.[6][42] In May 1991, following the end of the season, Borelli sold the club to French television giant Canal+.[42][74]
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Canal+ years (1991–2006)
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Third cup title and Marseille rivalry
The takeover by Canal+ revitalized PSG, which earned 40% of their revenue from televised matches, allowing them to become one of the richest clubs in France.[17][74] The Council of Paris facilitated the transition by paying off the club's €1.4 million debt, while Canal+ appointed Michel Denisot, journalist for the channel, as club president in place of Borelli, who was forced to resign.[2][74][75] Now enjoying serious investment, PSG aimed to immediately qualify for Europe and become French champions within three years.[6][74][75] The revolution began with the departure of eleven players including Jocelyn Angloma, Michel Bibard, Philippe Jeannol and PSG legend Sušić.[74][75][76]
Canal+ allocated a budget of 120 million francs to build a strong squad for the 1991–92 season and appointed Artur Jorge, famous for leading Porto to the Champions League trophy in 1987, as manager.[74][75][76] PSG went on a spending spree, signing Brazilian internationals Ricardo and Valdo, French veterans Paul Le Guen, Laurent Fournier, Bernard Pardo, Bruno Germain and Patrick Colleter, and promising youngster David Ginola. Despite criticism of Jorge's solid but unsavory style of play, PSG achieved their initial target of qualifying for the Europa League after finishing third in the league.[75][76] It was a fitting send-off for iconic goalkeeper Bats, who retired at the end of the season.[76]
Led by Bernard Lama, who replaced Bats in goal, talented Frenchmen Alain Roche and Vincent Guérin, and Liberian goalscorer George Weah, the Parisians reached a European semi-final for the first time in their history in the 1992–93 season.[74][77] They fought their way to the quarter-finals against PAOK, Napoli and Anderlecht, before facing Real Madrid.[78] PSG lost 3–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the first leg, but staged their biggest ever comeback at the Parc des Princes, winning 4–1 with goals from Weah, Ginola, Valdo and a last-minute header from Antoine Kombouaré.[78] Their dream run ended against eventual champions Juventus. Weah put Paris ahead, but Roberto Baggio's hat-trick secured a 3–1 aggregate win for Juve.[79][80]
Back in France, the capital club defeated Nantes in the 1993 Coupe de France final, securing their third cup title without conceding a single goal throughout the competition, a record only matched by PSG themselves in 2017.[74][75][81] The victory came almost exactly ten years to the day after their last cup title in 1983, also won against Nantes.[82] It was the club's first trophy since 1986, as well as their first of the Canal+ era.[75][82] The campaign also marked the beginning of Le Classique, the rivalry between PSG and Marseille, as both teams battled each other on the pitch for the league crown. PSG lost the title decider against Marseille and finished second.[34][74] Shortly afterwards, however, Marseille were found guilty of match-fixing and were stripped of their title by the FFF.[83][84] Marseille and their fans have since accused the Parisian political elite of plotting against them to crown PSG as the kings of French football.[85][86]
Ligue 1 and Cup Winners' Cup champions
Brazilian playmaker Raí, widely considered the club's greatest ever player, joined PSG in the 1993–94 season, helping them to their second league title. Paris went on a remarkable 27-match unbeaten run, breaking the Ligue 1 record they had set in 1986. Ricardo's header from Valdo's corner in a 1–0 win over Toulouse in April 1994 sealed the title for PSG. At the final whistle, the Parc des Princes pitch was invaded for an impromptu, incident-free celebration.[74][87] In the Coupe de France, PSG achieved their biggest victory to date, defeating amateur side Côte Chaude 10–0 in the round of 64 in January 1994, but their hopes of a league and cup double were dashed by Lens in the quarter-finals.[87][88]
History would repeat itself in Europe. PSG defeated Real Madrid in the Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals, becoming the only French team to win at the Bernabéu with a Weah goal, but they fell just short of the final once again. After drawing 1–1 at home to Arsenal, the Parisians needed to score in London, but surprisingly, Artur Jorge left Weah in the stands, where he watched his team lose 1–0. In Jorge's place, the club welcomed Luis Fernandez, who guided PSG to one of their best ever campaigns.[74][80][89]
Despite finishing third in the championship, the 1994–95 season was still a success for PSG. They clinched the domestic cup double, winning both the Coupe de France and the inaugural Coupe de la Ligue, and reached their first Champions League semi-finals.[74][90][91] Drawn into a lethal Group B alongside Bayern Munich, Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Kyiv, PSG became one of only seven teams to win all six of their group stage matches.[74][92] PSG then eliminated Johan Cruyff's Barcelona "Dream Team" in the quarter-finals, but could not overcome Milan. The Rossoneri had no problems and secured a 3–0 aggregate victory, thus burying PSG's European dream.[74][78][80][93]
Weah, Ricardo, Valdo and Ginola left the club before the 1995–96 season. In their place, PSG signed Patrice Loko, Julio Dely Valdés, Youri Djorkaeff and Bruno Ngotty, key figures in the club's European campaign. Domestically, the club endured a disappointing run, with early eliminations from both cup competitions and relinquishing the league title to Auxerre after a 3–0 defeat at the Parc des Princes against the eventual champions in March 1996. The only notable moment at the national level was PSG's penalty shootout victory over Nantes in the 1995 Trophée des Champions, the first edition of the French Super Cup officially organized by the FFF.[94]
The club's fortunes were completely different in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.[74][94] After easy wins over Molde and Celtic, PSG defeated tournament favorites Parma and Deportivo de La Coruña on their way to the decisive match against the revelation of the season, Rapid Wien. With Djorkaeff pulling the strings, Paris created chance after chance until the only goal of the match arrived on the half-hour mark. He touched a free kick to his right and Bruno Ngotty fired a low, powerful shot from thirty yards out. The ball deflected slightly off a defender, deceiving the Rapid goalkeeper before crashing into the net. PSG failed to double their lead despite numerous chances, but were very solid defensively and held on to become the second French club to win a major European competition, after arch-rivals Marseille's triumph in the 1992–93 UEFA Champions League, and the only French side to win this particular tournament.[91][95][96]
Domestic cup successes
With Ricardo replacing Fernandez as manager for the 1996–97 season, Cup Winners' Cup champions PSG faced Champions League winners Juventus in the two-legged 1996 UEFA Super Cup. The Bianconeri proved too strong and won 9–2 on aggregate, including a 6–1 victory at the Parc des Princes.[97] The Parisians bounced back, beating Galatasaray, AEK Athens and Liverpool, to reach the 1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final four months later against Barcelona. Ronaldo was fouled by Ngotty inside the box and coolly converted the penalty, while PSG suffered the Cup Winners' Cup curse and became the eighth team to reach a second consecutive final and lose.[74][98][99][100] Despite a squad overhaul, which saw Leonardo replace Bravo and Djorkaeff, PSG finished runners-up in the league, synonymous with Champions League, but suffered early cup exits, including a defeat to fourth-tier Clermont in the Coupe de France.[74][101]
PSG opened the 1997–98 season against Steaua București in the Champions League qualifiers. UEFA handed Paris a 3–0 defeat for fielding suspended player Fournier in the first leg.[78] Fortunately, an inspired Leonardo, playing his final game for the club, provided four assists during the 5–0 win over Steaua at the Parc des Princes.[102] The feat would be trivial, as Paris were eliminated in the group stage on goal difference.[102][103][104] A disappointing eight-place finish in the league was offset by a second domestic cup double, following the one in 1995. During his final match at the Parc des Princes in April 1998, PSG captain Raí was cheered by the crowd and left in tears at the end of a well-deserved lap of honor.[74][105]
Charles Biétry replaced Denisot as president for the 1998–99 season, appointing Alain Giresse as manager and overseeing a complete restructuring of the squad. Raí, Guérin, Le Guen, Llacer and Fournier left the club. In return, PSG signed Nigerian star Jay-Jay Okocha and a host of promising young French players, including Laurent Leroy and Yann Lachuer. The latter scored the only goal in PSG's 1998 Trophée des Champions victory over Lens, but things quickly went downhill. A first-round exit in the Cup Winners' Cup, followed by a difficult start to the league, cost Giresse his job. He was replaced in November 1998 by Artur Jorge. A month later, Biétry handed over to Laurent Perpère. The team failed to recover and, after being eliminated from both cups, Jorge was replaced in March by Philippe Bergeroo, who saved PSG from relegation with a ninth-place finish.[74][106]
In his first full campaign, and with a squad of his own choosing, including captain Ali Benarbia and top scorer Christian, Bergeroo led PSG to second place in the league, thereby qualifying for the Champions League. However, the club failed to complete a promising 1999–2000 season with a title, suffering an early exit from the Coupe de France and being defeated by second-division Gueugnon in the 2000 Coupe de la Ligue final. Two PSG legends bowed out at the end of the season: Lama was carried out triumphantly at the final whistle during his final match at the Parc des Princes in early May 2000, while Fournier celebrated his testimonial at the stadium later that month.[74][107]
Intertoto winners and sixth cup title
The signings of young French talents Nicolas Anelka, Peter Luccin and Stéphane Dalmat, were destined to take PSG to the top of the league in the 2000–01 season. They had a fairly successful start, driven by Laurent Robert and Anelka, but found themselves in trouble as winter arrived. Following a 5–1 defeat to Sedan in December, the club sacked Bergeroo. Luis Fernandez returned and reshuffled the squad with the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino, Mikel Arteta, Frédéric Déhu and Didier Domi. PSG finished ninth, crashed out from both cup competitions, and their only success was a place in the UEFA Intertoto Cup due to the withdrawal of several Spanish clubs. Another highlight was their Champions League campaign, particularly the 7–2 win against Rosenborg, which was cut short by La Coruña's comeback.[108][109]
PSG bounced back in the 2001–02 season by claiming their second European title, the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup, against Brescia.[110][111][112] In the first leg, neither team managed to score in Paris.[112][113][114] The return leg in Italy was also a close affair. Okocha hit the post with a free-kick late in the second half before Aloísio scored the winning goal. Baggio leveled the score with a penalty ten minutes from time, but PSG held on to win on away goals.[112][115] With a brilliant Ronaldinho and the league's best defense, the Parisians qualified for the Europa League by finishing fourth. The club's other performances were below expectations: a penalty shootout defeat to Rangers in the Europa League, and cup exits to Lorient and Bordeaux.[116][117]
With Ronaldinho perfectly adapted to French football, expectations for the 2002–03 season were high. Despite a brilliant start, numerous problems between the players and the manager doomed the team. Fernandez frequently left Ronaldinho on the bench, accusing the Brazilian of being more focused on the city's nightlife than on football. PSG finished in eleventh place, their worst position in 15 years, and were also quickly eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue and Europa League. The defeat to Auxerre in the 2003 Coupe de France final capped a disastrous campaign. Hugo Leal went from hero to villain, scoring for PSG and then receiving a red card, allowing Auxerre to come from behind and preventing Ronaldinho from winning a trophy in Paris. A bright spot was the club's three wins over arch-rivals Marseille, including one at the Vélodrome, their first in nearly 20 years.[111][118][119]
Francis Graille and Vahid Halilhodžić took over as president and manager with the mission of stabilizing the club, both sportingly and financially. Ronaldinho's departure to Barcelona allowed them to embark on an ambitious transfer campaign. PSG featured Argentine defensive duo Gabriel Heinze and Juan Pablo Sorín, winger Fabrice Fiorèse on the right, and Pauleta, scorer of 18 goals, alongside Danijel Ljuboja in attack. The 2003–04 season was their most successful in nearly 10 years, winning their sixth Coupe de France against Châteauroux in the final and finishing second in Ligue 1, three points behind Lyon. The only setback was their defeat to Gueugnon in the Coupe de la Ligue kickoff.[120][121]
Cup victory against Marseille
The departures of key players such as Déhu, Heinze, Sorín and Fiorèse left a huge void in the squad for the 2004–05 season. The Parisians lost the 2004 Trophée des Champions to Lyon on penalties and soon found themselves in the relegation zone. Weakened by conflict between the players and Halilhodžić, the latter gave up his position to former PSG midfielder Laurent Fournier in February 2005. Knocked out from all competitions, PSG eventually finished in the top half of the table, in ninth place. Of note was the club's 2–0 victory over reigning European champions Porto. It was their only Champions League win, as they finished bottom of their group. PSG also claimed their seventh and eighth consecutive wins against Marseille.[122][123]
At the start of the 2005–06 season, the club's goal was to finish in the top three of Ligue 1. They had already secured first place by Matchday 4 and remained on the podium until November 2005. Unfortunately, a string of poor results, especially away from home, sent Fournier's men into a downward spiral for two months. During the winter break, PSG president Pierre Blayau appointed Guy Lacombe as manager to start the second half of the season from scratch. Despite being eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue and finishing ninth in the league, Lacombe guided them to a 2–1 victory over arch-rivals Marseille in the 2006 Coupe de France final. With this triumph, PSG won their seventh cup title, surpassing Saint-Étienne's six trophies, and qualified for the Europa League. In April 2006, after years of underachievement, Canal+ sold the club to Colony Capital and Alain Cayzac was appointed president shortly after.[9][124][125]
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Colony Capital years (2006–2011)
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Perspective
Relegation battles
PSG struggled to get off to a good start in the 2006–07 season. The Parisians narrowly lost the 2006 Trophée des Champions to Lyon, again on penalties, were defeated by Lorient in their league opener at the Parc des Princes, and were knocked out from the Coupe de la Ligue by Lyon. In January 2007, Lacombe was replaced by Paul Le Guen as manager, and the club signed Jérémy Clément, Marcelo Gallardo and Péguy Luyindula during the winter transfer window. Le Guen had a difficult start: Paris crashed out from the Coupe de France, fell into the relegation zone after a defeat to Sedan, and were eliminated from the Europa League by Benfica. PSG eventually managed to secure their place in Ligue 1 thanks to a run of six consecutive unbeaten matches, finishing in 15th place. Pauleta, who scored 15 goals, was crowned league top scorer for the second consecutive time with PSG.[126][127]
Relegation came even closer in the 2007–08 season, when PSG had to wait until the second leg to finally win at home, against Lens, in January 2008. Amara Diané saved them from relegation to Ligue 2 in the final game of the campaign by scoring both goals in their 2–1 away win against Sochaux. The club finished 16th, their lowest position since 1972. Meanwhile, Paris performed well in both domestic cups: they lost the 2008 Coupe de France final to Lyon, but won the 2008 Coupe de la Ligue final against Lens, their first title in the competition since 1998, and their third overall, thus qualifying for the Europa League. PSG legend Pauleta, who had surpassed Rocheteau as the club's all-time leading scorer, retired at the end of the season. He received a vibrant tribute during his final match at the Parc des Princes in May 2008.[128][129][130]
Eighth cup title
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A series of quality signings under president Charles Villeneuve, including Claude Makélélé, Ludovic Giuly, Guillaume Hoarau and Stéphane Sessègnon, bode well for the 2008–09 season. Aside from a surprise exit against third-division Rodez in the Coupe de France, the club made progress on all other fronts. PSG were eliminated in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-finals by eventual champions Bordeaux, reached the quarter-finals of a European tournament for the first time since 1997, losing to Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa League, and challenged for the league title for the first three-quarters of the season, ultimately finishing sixth in a closely contested race.[131][132]
Antoine Kombouaré replaced Le Guen, whose contract was not renewed, as manager for the 2009–10 season. The club signed Grégory Coupet, Mevlüt Erdinç and Christophe Jallet with the aim of qualifying for Europe, a goal they narrowly missed the previous campaign. The start was almost perfect. After four matches, PSG sat second in the league. However, they gradually settled into mid-table, unable to catch the leaders, and finished in thirteenth place. Knocked out from the Coupe de la Ligue as well, Paris reached the 2010 Coupe de France final against Monaco, where they won their eighth cup title and secured a Europa League spot thanks to Hoarau's extra-time goal.[133]
Star signing Nenê, who had excelled with Monaco, joined the capital alongside Lyon midfielder Mathieu Bodmer and left-back Siaka Tiéné. PSG kicked off the 2010–11 season with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Marseille in the 2010 Trophée des Champions. In Ligue 1, the club achieved a fourth-place finish, their highest since 2004. They also reached the Coupe de la Ligue semi-finals and the 2011 Coupe de France final, where a superb last-minute goal from Lille prevented Paris from lifting their ninth cup title. In the Europa League, PSG topped their group, which included teams such as Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund, without losing a match and with two wins against the Spanish side, before Benfica ended their run in the round of 16. In June 2011, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, acquired the club through the Qatari government-backed investment fund, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI).[2][9][134]
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Qatar Sports Investments years (2011–Present)
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Third league title
After two years of solid progress and stability under manager Kombouaré and president Robin Leproux, the Qatari takeover made PSG one of the richest clubs in the world.[2][9] QSI chairman and club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi pledged to form a team capable of winning the Champions League and making the club the biggest name in France.[9][58][135] Club legend Leonardo returned as sporting director for the 2011–12 season and oversaw a spending spree in the summer of 2011, which included emerging and established talents such as Blaise Matuidi, Kevin Gameiro, Jérémy Ménez, Salvatore Sirigu and Javier Pastore, the first star of the QSI era.[9][135][136][137]
Led by a dazzling Pastore, the Parisians were leading the league in October 2011 after six consecutive victories. The run came to an end with a shock victory for Nancy in the capital, followed by a resounding 3–0 defeat to Marseille at the Vélodrome. PSG also crashed out from the Coupe de la Ligue in their opening game against Dijon and failed to progress beyond the Europa League group stage, despite a home victory against eventual finalists Athletic Bilbao in their final match. Kombouaré's men recovered and regained the lead before the winter break, but the club already had their sights set on renowned manager Carlo Ancelotti for the second half of the campaign. With him, Maxwell, Alex and Thiago Motta also arrived in Paris during the winter transfer window.[136][137]
Ancelotti got off to a blistering start, becoming the first PSG manager to string together five consecutive wins in his first five matches. Seemingly unstoppable, title rivals Montpellier sowed doubt at the Parc des Princes in February 2012, with Hoarau salvaging a draw for Paris in the final minutes. Knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Coupe de France by Lyon in March, the club suffered another defeat to Nancy and surrendered their lead to Montpellier, who remained in first place and were crowned French champions, three points ahead of runners-up Paris. On the bright side, PSG qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 2004.[136][137]
The 2012–13 season saw even more lavish spending with the high-profile signings of Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi, as well as promising prospect Marco Verratti. After a shaky start, with three consecutive draws, Paris rocketed to the top of the league in October 2012. A difficult November saw them lose the lead, only to regain it before the winter break, and be eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue on penalties by Saint-Étienne. Despite an unexpected defeat to Evian in the Coupe de France, the elusive league title finally returned to Paris, driven by team captain Thiago Silva and Zlatan's 30 league goals. A solitary goal from Ménez away to Lyon in May 2013 sealed PSG's third league title, 19 years after their last. Their return to the Champions League was also quite successful, defeating teams like Porto, Dynamo Kyiv, and Valencia. However, PSG were unlucky to be eliminated on away goals to Barcelona in the quarter-finals, after drawing both matches. David Beckham, who had joined the club in January 2013 for one last challenge, retired at the end of season.[2][137][138][139]
Domestic quadruples
The big-money signings continued in the 2013–14 season with the arrivals of Edinson Cavani and Marquinhos. Despite Ancelotti's departure, PSG maintained their winning streak under Laurent Blanc, adding another trophy by beating Bordeaux in the 2013 Trophée des Champions, their first Super Cup since 1998. Cavani and Ibrahimović combined for 42 league goals as Paris won the league and league cup double, securing their fourth Ligue 1 title, ahead of closest contenders Monaco, and defeated Lyon in the 2014 Coupe de la Ligue final. The only downside was PSG's early exit from the Coupe de France, stunned by Montpellier at the Parc des Princes. The Parisians thrashed Olympiacos, Anderlecht, Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League before falling to Chelsea in the quarter-finals. They won 3–1 at home appeared to have a foot in the semi-finals, but were eliminated on away goals after losing 2–0 in London.[137][140][141]
In a relatively quiet summer, with David Luiz the only major signing, while PSG Academy graduate and future star Kingsley Coman was allowed to leave on a free transfer. PSG clinched their first trophy of the 2014–15 season in the 2014 Trophée des Champions against Guingamp, but suffered a slow start in Ligue 1 and by mid-January were in third place, several points behind Marseille and league-leading Lyon. Paris reacted, achieving a series of positive results that allow them to remain in all four competitions.[137][142]
In the Champions League, Blanc's men exacted revenge on Chelsea. They heroically defeated the Blues on away goals in extra time at Stamford Bridge, with a man down after Zlatan's mid-match dismissal, thanks to headers from David Luiz and Thiago Silva. However, PSG were crushed 5–1 on aggregate by eventual champions Barcelona in the quarter-finals. Buoyed by victories against Marseille in the league and Bastia in the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue final, the club embarked on a frantic run against Lyon, winning their last nine matches to secure their fifth league title and third in a row, before completing an unprecedented domestic quadruple with their win over Auxerre in the 2015 Coupe de France final thanks to a Cavani header.[78][137][142]
PSG added Ángel Di María to their star-studded squad in the 2015–16 season. In Ligue 1, he provided 18 assists, while Ibrahimović and Cavani scored 57 goals together, helping Paris to their sixth title with a record 96 points, 31 more than second-place Lyon. PSG also lifted another domestic quadruple with victories in the 2015 Trophée des Champions against Lyon, the 2016 Coupe de la Ligue final against Lille and the 2016 Coupe de France final against Marseille. The latter marked a record tenth consecutive victory against their arch-rivals. It was also Zlatan's final game for Paris; he left as the club's top scorer with 156 goals, having surpassed Pauleta's 109 during the campaign. A fourth consecutive Champions League quarter-final exit, this time to Manchester City, was the final straw for Al-Khelaifi, who publicly dismissed the season as a failure and parted ways with Blanc despite a trophy-laden spell.[137][143]
Champions League runners-up
Fresh from three consecutive Europa League titles, Unai Emery was hired as PSG manager for the 2016–17 season.[144] They impressed in the 2016 Trophée des Champions, routing Lyon 4–1, and while Cavani enjoyed a huge season in Ibrahimović's absence, a Monaco team led by Radamel Falcao, Bernardo Silva and Kylian Mbappé charged to the league title and ended PSG's four-year streak.[137][145] PSG settled the score with Monaco in the 2017 Coupe de la Ligue final, beating them 4–1, later won the 2017 Coupe de France final against Angers, and defeated Barcelona 4–0 in the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie in Paris. It was hailed as one of the best European performances in recent memory. However, PSG crumbled 6–1 at the Camp Nou, with Barça scoring three goals in the final seven minutes in the biggest comeback in the history of the competition, known as La Remontada.[137][146][147][148]
Referee Deniz Aytekin was heavily criticized for favoring Barcelona, while PSG signed Neymar, the main architect of La Remontada, for a world-record fee of €222m.[135][137][149][150] The club also signed teenage sensation Mbappé for €180m, a fee bettered only by Neymar, to form a fearsome attacking trio with Cavani for the 2017–18 season.[135][137][151] They regained the Ligue 1 title, ahead of Monaco, and won their third domestic quadruple, beating Monaco twice more in the 2017 Trophée des Champions and the 2018 Coupe de la Ligue final, as well as claiming the 2018 Coupe de France final against third-tier Les Herbiers, but after taking an early lead over Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, they conceded four consecutive goals and went down tamely, effectively sealing the end of Emery's reign.[137][152][153]
The club turned to German manager Thomas Tuchel for the 2018–19 season. On the verge of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since 2016, PSG were eliminated on away goals against a failing and battered Manchester United side. Goals from Presnel Kimpembe and Mbappé made PSG the first French team to win at Old Trafford in any European competition, but a Romelu Lukaku brace and a late Marcus Rashford penalty sealed another second-leg collapse in Paris.[137][147][154] The domestic campaign was mixed: they won their eighth league title and thrashed Monaco 4–0 in the 2018 Trophée des Champions, but lost the 2019 Coupe de France final to Rennes on penalties and were knocked out of the Coupe de la Ligue quarter-finals by Guingamp at the Parc des Princes.[137][155]
Led by an inspired Neymar up front and Keylor Navas in goal, PSG won their fourth and final domestic quadruple in the 2019–20 season. They took revenge on Rennes in the 2019 Trophée des Champions and were 12 points clear with a game in hand when Ligue 1 was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) awarded Paris their ninth league title based on a points-per-game ratio.[137][156][157] After the lockdown, they defeated Saint-Étienne in the 2020 Coupe de France final, and won the last-ever Coupe de la Ligue, their ninth trophy in the competition, against Lyon on penalties in the final.[158][159] In the Champions League, PSG topped Group A with a remarkable 3–0 victory over Real Madrid. After comebacks against Borussia Dortmund and Atalanta, they defeated RB Leipzig to advance to their first final.[137][160] Paris faced Bayern Munich and had several chances in the first half, including a Neymar shot saved by Manuel Neuer. The Bavarians were superior in the second half, with former PSG youngster Coman heading in the only goal of the match.[135][137][161]
End of the superstar era
Despite recently guiding them to a European final, Tuchel was sacked in December 2020 after a bumpy start to the 2020–21 season, which included four league defeats and two in the Champions League group stage. His replacement, Mauricio Pochettino, gave them a boost of energy going into the new year, including wins against Marseille in the 2020 Trophée des Champions and against a slumping Barcelona and reigning champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockout stages.[137][162] Pochettino's momentum eventually faded: PSG were outclassed by Manchester City in the semi-finals and lost the league title to Lille.[135][137][163] Victory in the 2021 Coupe de France final against Monaco was their consolation prize.[164]
The club's 2021 summer transfer window has been described as the best of all time. PSG signed youngsters Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Gianluigi Donnarumma, who would become key figures for the team in the coming years, and continued its star power strategy, signing Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos on free transfers.[135][137][165] PSG went all out in the 2021–22 season. Instead, they only won one trophy. The Ligue 1 title was easily secured, but they lost the 2021 Trophée des Champions to Lille, ending PSG's run of eight consecutive titles, were eliminated early on from the Coupe de France, and suffered another embarrassing Champions League comeback against Real Madrid in the round of 16.[137][166][167] Mbappé had put his team two goals up with less than half an hour left in the match, only to concede three goals in 17 minutes.[168][169][170]
PSG sporting director Luís Campos continued to shape the team's backbone for the future in the 2022–23 season. The club signed Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz, while youngster Warren Zaïre-Emery found a place in the rotation, but manager Christophe Galtier ran into the same problems as Pochettino: the team was constantly unbalanced because Mbappé, Neymar and Messi were reluctant to press. The attacking trio's 58 goals were enough to win the 2022 Trophée des Champions and another league title, one point ahead of Lens, but PSG showed their limitations in their defeat to Marseille in the Coupe de France round of 16, as well as in another slump in the Champions League, this time to Bayern.[135][137][171][172]
Ahead of the 2023–24 season, Al-Khelaifi announced the end of the superstar era to focus on a team approach and developing young talent. Messi, Sergio Ramos, Verratti and Neymar all left in the summer. In their place, PSG opted for skillful French players like Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola, and for manager Luis Enrique instead of Galtier.[135][137][173][174] Despite failing to convince Mbappé to press, his first season saw PSG comfortably win their twelfth league title and the 2023 Trophée des Champions, in addition to defeating Lyon in 2024 Coupe de France final, and a commendable Champions League campaign. Luis Enrique, the architect of Barcelona's 2017 comeback, gave his former club an extra dose of their own medicine to reach the semi-finals against Borussia Dortmund.[135][137] They dominated the tie, but lacked a killer instinct in front of goal, hitting the woodwork six times and losing 2–0 on aggregate.[175][176]
First Champions League title
With Mbappé's departure to Real Madrid, Luis Enrique was finally free to implement his philosophy in the 2024–25 season, signing young talents Désiré Doué, João Neves, Willian Pacho and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Early results were not promising, especially in the Champions League, with losses to Arsenal, Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich in the league phase. Everything hinged on their game against Manchester City. Trailing 2–0 in the 53rd minute, PSG rose to the occasion, scoring four times to win and advance to the knockout phase. Luis Enrique's men then took off, winning the 2024 Trophée des Champions, the Ligue 1 title and the 2025 Coupe de France final against Reims.[135][137] Led by player of the season Dembélé, youg player of the season Doué and Donnarumma in goal, the Parisians eliminated Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal to reach the final at the Allianz Arena in Munich. There, they defeated Inter Milan by a record 5–0 scoreline to complete the club's continental treble and become the first team to win a European Cup final by more than four goals.[177][178][179]
As European champions, the club qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.[177][178] Apart from their 1–0 defeat against reigning Copa Libertadores holders Botafogo and hard-fought wins over the Seattle Sounders and Bayern Munich, PSG were unplayable throughout the tournament, delivering three 4–0 thrashings to Atlético Madrid, Messi's Inter Miami and Real Madrid. However, in the final, they looked a shadow of themselves and were left in the dust by Cole Palmer's Chelsea first-half onslaught, losing 3–0.[180][181]
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