PSG 10/11-End Of Season Summary

What was largely a successful season finished in disappointment for PSG last week as a final day draw at Saint-Étienne (1-1), and a victory for Lyon at Monaco (2-0) that relegated Les Monégasques in the process; ensured that Les Parisiens will be playing Europa League football instead of Champions League next season.

Disappointing draws at Monaco (1-1), at home to Nancy (2-2) and a devastating late 0-1 defeat to Lille in the final of the Coupe de France sent PSG into their game with Bordeaux under duress and needing a victory to apply some serious pressure on a faltering Lyon side. However, they fell to a 1-0 defeat after which the players were criticised by club President Robin Leproux for a lack of desire, leaving them facing an uphill task to finish in third.

The following 2-2 home draw with Lille which saw Les Dogues claim the title, although a respectable result, and a great game of football, saw PSG barely clinging to faint hopes of beating Lyon to third place. However, these hopes were definitively extinguished by their inability to claim a victory over L’ASSE that would, in any case, have been academic due to Monaco’s capitulation at home to Lyon.

Although the final few weeks will leave a bitter taste in mouth for many at the club, it should not take away from the fact that this season has been a good one for the capital side. A small but talented squad have found a large amount of consistency this season and have now formed a solid unit that finally play as a team. Antoine Kombouaré has guided a squad with little depth to a fourth-placed finish and, had he been able to compensate for the loss of Stéphane Sessègnon, the club could arguably have finished in third place.

Because of their lack of depth, the Champions League probably would have been a step too far for PSG right now. Just look at Auxerre, a club with similar issues with depth, they started the season in the Champions League and struggled and could still have found themselves relegated on the last day of the season after a disastrous campaign. Although not being able to offer Champions League football next year hinders their ability to attract certain types of players, Lorient’s Kévin Gameiro for instance has said that a decision on his future is likely to depend on whether the club who wants him can offer top level European football, the club will be a more attractive proposition now after a steady season that has featured little of PSG’s regular drama.

Another reason that les Rouges-et-Bleu will be a more attractive proposition for many players will be that they are now financed by Qatari investors. Last week the club announced that they had agreed a deal to sell 70% of the club to Qatari Investment Authority whilst Colony Capital retains a 30% share, keeping the clubs’ hierarchy largely intact. With this sort of investment, the club can look forward to this summer’s transfer mercato with the knowledge that they can compete with Lyon and Marseille for the league’s best talents.

The move puts PSG in a strong financial position that had previously been questioned as, despite good merchandising figures, the club was in a poor state financially and had little capital to invest in transfers. Now, with financial backing to rival that of their most fierce rivals, the club have a chance to build on a successful campaign and push to become France’s strongest club.

This season has been Les Parisiens’ most successful campaign since 2003-04 when they finished second and claimed Champions League football and, with some form of European football guaranteed, the majority of the clubs bright young prospects staying and the core of a strong team likely to stay intact, next season could indeed be an opportunity for PSG to really assert themselves.

Now, on the back of a disappointing season for both Lyon and Marseille, the club have an opportunity to become France’s leading side and redress the balance of power that has recently been tipped in favour of the duo with Bordeaux and Lille in particular, also staking strong claims to become France’s new elite team. With the traditional powers weakening, PSG now have the chance to supplement the changes that they have already been making behind the scenes to make the club more family-oriented and redefine their identity as France’s flagship team.

Despite the departures of Claude Makélelé and Grégory Coupet, two seasoned veterans that brought a lot of experience to the side, there is still enough experience in old stagers such as Sylvain Armand and Ludovic Giuly to help guide the rapidly developing youngsters such as Clément Chantôme, Mamadou Sakho (now to replace Makélélé as captain) and Alphonse Aréola. Kombouaré will surely look to bring in another experienced player to take the pressure off the elder members of the squad but it is also the ideal time to raid Ligue 1 rivals of their best young talent.

Players such as Dimitri Payet, Marvin Martin, Mapou Yanga M’Biwa and Morgan Amalfitano will all represent good transfer value if the club decide to pursue them and would also give Kombouaré some much needed depth and competition within the side. With Nicolas Douchez already set to arrive from Rennes to replace Coupet and the transfer window days from opening, it promises to be an exciting summer for PSG fans.