By Ben Bocsák
It’s on the streets of Paris where some of the finest footballers of the modern generation had learned their trades.
At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, nine different national teams had at least one player in their squad who was born in Paris. The French national team had 11.
When it comes to football clubs, Paris Saint Germain is the dominant team in the region. They have won eight league titles in the last decade and continue to attract some of the world’s biggest stars.
Their status at the pinnacle of French football looks uncontested at the moment but a noisy ‘neighbour’ in Paris FC is looking to knock them off their perch in the near future.
For a short period of time Paris FC and Paris Saint Germain had been one and the same after a merger in the 1970s. But this was short-lived. A bitter split occurred in 1972 when Paris’ mayor had an issue with the club being situated in the suburbs of Paris in Saint Germain-en-Laye.
The results of this saw Paris FC remain its status in the first division and hosting matches in the Parc des Princes meanwhile Paris Saint Germain were relegated to the third division.
This would prove to be bittersweet for the former. Paris FC struggled to maintain their competitiveness in the top-flight and were relegated just two seasons after the split. Coincidentally, the same season Paris FC were relegated, Paris Saint Germain were promoted to the top-flight having been buoyed by a new drive and determination to get back to ‘where they belong.’
Ultimately, this saw Paris Saint Germain reseize the Parc des Princes and their status as Paris’ ‘top’ football club.
Meanwhile, Paris FC have been cast into the shadows ever since. A brief foray in the top-flight offered some hope in the 1979/80 season but they were immediately relegated back to Ligue 2.
The subsequent decades have brought little hope for Paris FC. The club has spent most of the 1980s and 1990s in the third and fourth divisions of France playing in semi-professional and amateur leagues.
Since the 2000s though, Paris FC have started to emerge as a force again by investing in young players.
Instead of focusing on the first team, Paris FC has built one of the best developmental academies in France, harnessing the talent of the city.
Over the last decade Paris FC has produced the likes of Ibrahima Konaté, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Mathys Tel, Manu Koné, Loïc Badé, Axel Disasi and Nordi Mukiele who have all gone on to play at the very highest level of the game.
The money brought in through development transfer fees has given Paris FC a new resurgence.
In 2014/15, the club earned promotion back to Ligue 2 and have remained there ever since and this season they look to return back to the top flight since 1980.
But it’s off the pitch where the most interesting changes have occurred.
Earlier this season France’s wealthiest man Bernard Arnault bought a majority 52.4% stake in the club. He is the CEO of LVMH and has an estimated net worth of $170.8 billion according to Forbes. Alongside him, minority investors Red Bull have also put a 10.6% stake in the club and have added Paris FC to their extensive portfolio that includes the likes of RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls.
Red Bull’s football CEO, Jürgen Klopp, is also involved in the project and he has recently been spotted attending games in Paris.
Together the investment group has set some lofty ambitions.
In the press conference announcing his acquisition of the club last year Arnault even opened the doors to Paris FC bringing back former player Ibrahima Konaté in the future.
When asked about the possibility, he replied:
“The idea is to train young people, then, if a former member of the club’s training team wants to come and form the backbone of the club, why not?
“It’s a possibility, but not the group’s basic strategy.”
Since then, Paris FC have also announced that from next season the club will be in very close proximity to Paris Saint Germain.
They will be moving to the Stade Jean-Bouin, currently being used by the Stade Francais rugby team which is literally just across the street from Paris Saint Germain’s home of the Parc des Princes.
With the club currently in third place in Ligue 2, just one point off an automatic promotion place, there is a strong possibility Paris FC will return to Ligue 1 after a long hiatus.
They are playing some attractive football, averaging the fourth highest goals (1.6) and the most possession (60.8%) in the league.
But while the signs are promising, these are early days at Paris FC. At the moment only three teams have an older average squad age in Ligue 2 than Paris FC. This is the antithesis of the club’s future vision. With Red Bull involved and strong academy foundations in place, Paris FC will look to build a young team in the same mould as RB Leipzig or Red Bull Salzburg or perhaps even closer to home – the current Paris Saint Germain team.
The ultimately goal is to become a true contender again and to reignite a fierce rivalry that has been dormant in the shadows for decades. If successful, Paris FC can challenge Paris Saint Germain’s hegemony and completely transform the landscape of French football.
These are lofty ambitions but with Arnault, Red Bull and Klopp involved – anything is possible.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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