CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN

The Galacticos era has ended at the Parc des Princes without the Champions League triumph that the owners had thought was inevitable. Dan Roberts takes a look at how the new project might fare in a revamped competition and whether the revised recruitment plan will be successful.
Paris has fallen

When Qatar Sports Investments took control of Paris Saint-Germain in 2011 there was one major prize that its new owners coveted above all others. Thanks to the massive boost in wealth, domination of French domestic football was just about guaranteed. But it was continental power that the Qatari government-backed investment group desired. Champions League glory or bust. But that strategy has undoubtedly failed and now there are new plans afoot in the French capital.

With the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi, alongside homegrown talents like Kylian Mbappé, PSG did everything they could to justify their huge spending and become one of the elite – Champions League winners. But with Mbappé’s departure in the off-season, the club has now signalled a distinctively different way of doing things. The aim remains the same but there is now a reliance on youth – French or explicitly Parisian youth at that – and a relative lack of global superstars. It is not as though PSG have stopped paying massive fees for the top talent. It is just that the names are possibly not quite as recognisable to those without their fingers on the pulse of the next generation.

The transformation had already begun, of course. Messi’s departure in 2023 signalled a new beginning of sorts, even if Mbappé deciding to see out his contract kept a ‘Galactico-lite’ feel to the club. There was a lot of talk in the corridors of power at the Parc des Princes about keeping the same ambition but without the same levels of pressure. A clean sweep of the domestic trophies seemed to suggest that it was a case of business of usual. After struggling at the beginning of the Champions League group stage and only just scraping through to the knockout rounds, PSG powered their way to the final four. A 4-1 win away in Barcelona was a particular highlight and it was only Borussia Dortmund that blocked their route to what would have been a rather unsuspected Champions League final appearance. Claiming the ultimate prize would have to wait.

Mbappé finally bid adieu to PSG in the summer of 2024 and now there is possibly even less pressure on the players left behind. If Paris Saint-Germain had not exactly been the absolute favourites to win the Champions League in the last few years, they have always been one of the fancied teams and given the financial outlay and star names, were always under intense pressure to succeed. Now, with a new format in place, most pundits regard the French champions as merely one of the teams to look out for, suggesting that the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Real Madrid are far more likely to lift one of the most famous trophies in world football once again.

That kind of pressure release – coupled with a format that almost guarantees progression for a club the stature of PSG – should have been enough for Luis Enrique and his new collection of talent. But the campaign did not get off to the most confident of starts. Les Parisiens needed a last-minute own goal to overcome Girona on the first match day and then failed to win their next three games against Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, and Atletico Madrid. With fixtures including Bayern and Manchester City to come in the second half of the league phase, there is a real worry that PSG will fail to even finish in the top 24, meaning they will also miss out on the play-off round for the knockout phase. With no Europa League parachute to fall back on this season, PSG would then only have the French league and cup competitions to keep them occupied. Whatever the change in strategy, that outcome was definitely not in the plans for this season.So, was the new way of doing things doomed from the beginning? Before we get too carried away, it should be said that the new look PSG do look very good indeed. Their performances in Ligue 1 have been exciting to watch and very impressive. As unconvincing as Enrique’s men have been in Europe, their league form has been a reminder that this is still one of the top sides on the continent – and undoubtedly the best in France.Mbappé was the main focus of the PSG attack while he was at the club and there might have been some concerns about where the goals might come from once he left for the Bernabéu. But, if anything, the goals have been spread around the squad a little more and Bradley Barcola, in particular, has revelled in the opportunity to be at the forefront of all of PSG’s attacking plays now. Teenager Warren Zaire-Emery is already an invaluable part of the midfield setup and a fully fledged France international who is tipped to become one of Europe’s leading stars, while Ousmane Dembele has also looked to be involved a little more, giving the side more balance without a megastar striker.

Fitting a style of play around one main player is a tactic of the past for Luis Enrique. The Spanish coach has stated that he wants his players to be able to perform in multiple positions – and he is getting the best from one of the youngest PSG squads in living memory.Versatility is the key for Enrique now, with new arrivals like the Ecuadorian international, Willian Pancho, showing how Paris Saint-Germain are planning for the future. He has slotted perfectly into a defensive unit that has suffered a number of injuries to top players but can also rely on the relatively older head of club captain Marquinhos. It has been noticeable that the PSG “veterans”, like keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, have accepted the new way of playing just as readily as the young additions – and it makes for an exciting future ahead for the club.But as satisfying as an outstanding record in Ligue 1 must be for Luis Enrique, he will also be very well aware of the fact that his side have found the best of Europe a much sterner task so far.
It is not as though PSG have been completely outplayed in any of their Champions League games. In fact, the opposite is true in most of the fixtures – it is just that the results have not gone the way of the French club. But now the home game against Manchester City at the end of January could be the most important fixture PSG have had in recent years if the two match days preceding it don’t go their way. With only Stuttgart away to play after that clash of the titans, Paris Saint-Germain might have to beat Pep Guardiola’s men to still have the chance of any further European games this season.Not making the knockout rounds of this season’s Champions League will be considered a huge failure on the part of Enrique, no matter how enjoyable it has been to watch PSG in Ligue 1 this season. It is highly creditable that the wealthy owners have been fully behind a new strategy for the future in which younger players are given the opportunity to become club legends in the same way as Mbappé and Neymar were before them.
But continental success is the only way of measuring success for Paris Saint-Germain. That didn’t come with the best players on the planet and there is a real danger that it might not happen with the new way of doing things. What that means for Luis Enrique – and the entire Paris Saint-Germain project – remains to be seen.

SIDEBARS

The new names

Dan Roberts looks at the players trying to fill the gap left by Kylian Mbappé’s departure from Paris Saint-Germain.

Bradley Barcola
Among the leading goalscorers in Ligue 1, Barcola joined the club in 2023 from Lyon and instantly looked the real deal, while being able to learn from Kylian Mbappé in his final season in Paris. Also happiest on the left, Barcola offers more defensively than the star he has replaced but looks most dangerous when running at opposing defenders. His goal tally only seems set to rise over the next few months.

Lee Kang-in
His national side may be inconsistent recently but Lee Kang-in is demonstrating how South Korea continues to produce a steady stream of electrifying players. Now in his second season at PSG after playing in Spain for Valencia and Mallorca, Lee is now letting his talent do the talking. A dead ball specialist, he offers a lot to PSG’s attacking style.

Randal Kolo Muani
A perfect example of a talent from the suburbs of Paris who somehow initially evaded the club’s scouts, Kolo Muani made a name for himself with Eintracht Frankfurt before earning a move to PSG in the summer of 2023. His languid dribbling talent is reminiscent of a young Thierry Henry, and he has been able to make a name for himself in Luis Enrique’s squad even alongside all the other attacking talent.

João Neves
Still only 20 years old, Neves was on the radar of a whole host of top clubs in the summer, including Arsenal, but chose to move to PSG from Benfica, where he had risen through the ranks and has become one of PSG’s most important players. A deep-lying playmaker who can make the midfield tick, he is also surprisingly good in the air for his height and is able to bring others into the game with ease.

Warren Zaïre-Emery
The youngest player to ever feature in a Champions League knockout match before Lamine Yamal took his crown, Zaïre-Emery is the perfect embodiment of Paris Saint-Germain’s new versatile look. A product of the club’s academy, he can play just about anywhere and is a key playmaker for the team.

Dan Roberts for Soccer360 Magazine Canada December 2024