Yesterday, PSG yet again got knocked out of the Champions League. For the 2nd year in a row, they went out in the Round of 16 stage. While by no means was it the most spectacular exit they’ve ever had (on the surface), but it’s the first time in their takeover where they’ve failed to score a single goal in the knockout stage. This is their 10th full season in the takeover, yet they’ve only progressed past the quarter-finals twice.
Only 18 months ago, back in 2021, they were full of hope. Having created a Super Team after signing the most promising RB in the world Achraf Hakimi, one of the best CBs of his generation Sergio Ramos, The player of the Tournament in the Euros Gianluigi Donnarumma, and the Greatest Player of all time Leo Messi. They reached the Semi Finals of the Champions League the year earlier and the final the year before that, so they were heavy favourites to win it in 21-22.
However, after failing to best Man City for top of the group, they were matched against Real Madrid in the match many called the “Mbappé custody match”. It was he who put the ball in the back of the net 4 times in the tie for PSG, only 2 counted, however. It was all going well until Karim Benzema scored a hat trick within 15 minutes in the second half, sending Real Madrid through 3-2 on aggregate in the start of a Champions League winning run which will go down in history.
Most people thought this was it and PSG had somehow muffed it up in their only season with the super team, as it was assumed that Kylian Mbappé would leave for Madrid in the summer. However, fate smiled on PSG, for once.
Kylian Mbappé made a sudden U-Turn in the final weeks before he was due to sign the contract with Real Madrid and extended with PSG, becoming the highest paid player in the world as well as having a say in the signing and sale of players and board members for 2 years with the option of one more. PSG would get another chance with the superteam.
Having added Vitinha, Hugo Ekitike, Carlos Soler, Renato Sanches, Nordi Mukiele and Fabian, the team got a few new fresh faces going into the new season. They were given a seemingly easy group, with an out of form Juventus, Benfica, and Maccabi Haifa.
Well, they beat Maccabi Haifa on a 10-3 aggregate, and beat Juventus 2-1 twice. However, they were held to a draw by Benfica in both matches, both finishing 1-1. This led to a meeting with Bayern Munich in the Round of 16, a rematch of the 2020 Champions League final and the 2021 Quarter Finals.
The first leg was a relatively even affair, but a carbon copy of the 2020 Champions League final took place. Kingsley Coman was the sole goalscorer in a 1-0 Bayern win. His goals in both games even came 6 minutes apart. It didn’t look good for PSG.
The second leg was so critical for PSG. They started out the better team and the golden chance came late in the first half when Yann Sommer fell asleep with the ball at his feet and gifted Vitinha with an open net, but just before the ball was set to cross the line, Mattijs de Ligt got to it and cleared it.
The second half was all Bayern. They put the ball in the net 4 times, 2 counted, and PSG were anonymous. Kylian Mbappé and Leo Messi, players who had just 3.5 months earlier scored 5 goals combined in the most entertaining World Cup final ever, were both anonymous.
This season was their worst yet, with two depressing firsts; The first time since the takeover that they’d failed to score in the knockout stage and the first time since the takeover that they’d failed to keep a clean sheet throughout the whole tournament. (Reminder: They played Maccabi Haifa twice.). Now reports are coming out of France that PSG are preparing for life without both Neymar Jr. and Leo Messi next season, with potentially even more players leaving after two essential components of PSG’s house of cards are removed.
This now begs the question: What is wrong with PSG? Why do they continuously fail in the Champions League year after year? This is no longer a fluke, it is now their 10th UCL campaign since the takeover, and subsequent 10th elimination.
My thoughts? Attitude. PSG, above all else, are an image club. A money making machine. At first, these may seem like crazy musings of a half asleep doofus (Like Bob in the morning). However, all you need to do is look at the club beneath surface level. Look at their flashiest signings. Thiago Silva. Zlatan Ibrahimović. David Beckham. Edinson Cavani. David Luiz. Ángel Di María. Neymar. Dani Alves. Gigi Buffon. Keylor Navas. Mauro Icardi. Achraf Hakimi. Leo Messi. Sergio Ramos. Gianluigi Donnarumma. Most of these players were global stars before their arrival, and a lot were over 30 when they arrived.
While PSG have made many signings made to actually contend in the UCL, most of these players aren’t even PSG starter level and aren’t intervened into by Nasser Al-Khelaifi as much as the bigger signings. Maybe it’s just because they have too much money to throw around, but PSG’s signings of Legendary players over 30 are unlike any other club in world football whose primary objective is to win.
Another reason that I think PSG are an image club is their Jordan brand collaboration as well as their vast array of used kits. First, the kits. Since the takeover, PSG have had 72 different outfield kits (including the cup kits with a different sponsor). In the same time, Barcelona have had 38 kits, Real Madrid have had 39 kits, Man City have had 37, you get the point. Most of these kits have been put up for sale officially by PSG.
Their Jordan brand collab has also been unique by PSG, as it releases at least 2 dozen non-kit shirts and pants every season. They are also one of the few clubs in the world with their own shoe deal. Combine all this with the legendary players, and PSG are raking in astronomical numbers through merchandise sales.
Now, you may be saying that this only proves they’re good at kit sales and getting money off the pitch. Well, loyal reader, you’d be correct. However, you didn’t let me finish. This obsession over being a fashion and image club has led to a half caring effort for the club as a whole in the actual footballing side. It doesn’t help that most of the games played by PSG are in Ligue 1, a league where they have essentially no competition and every season is characterized by PSG taking it serious for a few weeks, going on a winning streak, then slacking and dropping a few points on a cold run.
When they are knocked out of the Champions League every year, PSG’s competitive football ends. These last 3-4 months of the season will feel like ages for PSG, before a good summer transfer window will give them renewed hope, only for it to be taken away by themselves. The superteam era seems to now be over. PSG threw the kitchen sink at the UCL and ended without winning a single Knockout tie. Where do they go from here? I’m Jim James, until next time.