Paris Saint-Germain: A Turn of Fortunes in the French Capital
By: AT
Image Credit: Tim L. Productions
On September 2, 2023, this platform published an article about Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG’s) major personnel turnover at both the player and management levels. These moves followed a disastrous 2022-23 season, which included a premature UEFA Champions League (UCL) elimination in the round of 16 against Bundesliga club Bayern Munich (3-0 loss on aggregate) and a humiliating Coupe de France quarterfinal loss against archrivals Olympique de Marseille — only a second loss against that club in all competitions since 2011. Even their Ligue 1 title, which PSG won on the penultimate matchday following a 2-2 away draw against a lacklustre RC Strasbourg, was hoisted following a humiliating 3-2 home loss on the final matchday against Clermont Foot, which rallied from a 2-0 deficit against Les Parisiens.
Two years later, however, PSG not only went on to win the domestic treble — hoisting the Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Trophée des Champions/French super cup titles — on May 31, 2025, PSG won their very first UCL title, breaking a long-lasting curse on the club and becoming the first French club to win all possible trophies available to them in one season!
This turnaround begs the following question: What measures did PSG take to reach the pinnacle of club football?
We answer this question below.
Rock-bottom
In summer 2023, under the direction of club Preseidnt Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Sporting Director Luis Campos, PSG sacked then-manager Christophe Galtier and his personnel after just one season at the helm. Galtier and co. were replaced by former FC Barcelona manager and Spain senior men’s national team head coach Luis Enrique and his personnel.
With the previous management personnel fired and the new one hired, PSG kicked off the 2023 summer transfer window by seeing such veteran star players as defender Sergio Ramos and midfielder Lionel Messi leave as free agents; those players then signed with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and LaLiga club Sevilla FC, respectively. Then, the French capital club sold other underperforming star players, including the transfers of Italian midfielder Marco Verratti to Qatari Star League club Al-Arabi SC for a base fee (excluding add-one/performance-based bonuses) worth €45.0 million and Brazilian forward Neymar to Saudi Pro League club for a base fee worth €90.0 million. Neymar’s transfer represents a record purchase for Al-Hilal and a record sale for the French club.
To cope with these significant departures, PSG purchased the likes of defender Lucas Hernández, midfielder Manuel Ugarte and forwards Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Randal Kolo Muani and Gonçalo Ramos. The combined base transfer fee for these six players totalled €360.0 million, averaging €60 million per player. The arrivals of the four forwards accounted for €260.0 million, with Kolo Muani’s arrival on the 2023 summer window deadline day costing a whopping base fee worth €95.0 million. With star French forward Kylian Mbappé still at the club — though rumours about any imminent departure were as prevalent as questions regarding where he would be after the 2023-24 season, the final season in which he was under contract with PSG — the PSG attack seemingly returned to looking like a major threat for other clubs.
More importantly, however, PSG were stepping into a new era in which the club focuses on developing young talent recruited via the club academy and through purchasing young players, including star Frenchmen throughout Europe. Enrique’s arrival also sparked a change in approaching the game on the pitch, with the Spaniard’s vision of implementing quasi-tiki-taka-style tactics with a fresh set of players.
The First Season
Despite a slow start — and fears that Enrique would experience similar shortcomings to those suffered during his tenure with the Spanish national team (e.g., a premature exit at the 2022 FIFA World Cup against Morocco) — PSG exceeded expectations throughout the 2023-24 season. In domestic competitions, PSG rose to the occasion by winning a record 12th and third consecutive Ligue 1 title, and a record 12th and second consecutive Trophée des Champions after defeating league rivals Toulouse FC 2-0 in their opening match of the 2024 calendar year.
Moreover, in their final match of the season, PSG retrieved their Coupe de France crown with a 2-1 victory in that competition’s final against a resurgent Olympique Lyonnais, winning the Coupe de France for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Les Pariseiens mustered one of the most difficult runs to the final in Coupe de France history, defeating such in-form Ligue 1 opponents as Stade Brestois, OGC Nice and Stade Rennais in the round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Under Enrique, PSG won a record 15th Coupe de France title.
However, what surprised most supporters and pundits was PSG’s emphatic run to the 2023-24 UCL semifinals. First, they finished second (out of four) in a “group of death” that consisted of Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, Serie A club AC Milan and Premier League (EPL) club Newcastle United, consequently qualifying for the UCL round of 16. Then, PSG conquered almost all of Spain after defeating LaLiga clubs Real Sociedad (4-1 on aggregate) and UCL archrivals FC Barcelona (6-4 on aggregate) in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively.
Ultimately, their quest to conquer all of Spain did not materialize as they missed out on a duel with LaLiga Real Madrid in the 2023-24 UCL final. Instead, it was PSG group rivals Dortmund that competed in the final, defeating PSG 2-0 on aggregate in the semifinals (Real Madrid defeated Dortmund 2-0 in the final to hoist their record 15th UCL title).
Although PSG squandered a golden opportunity to return to the UCL final for the second time in their history, and for the first time since 2019-20, PSG’s UCL campaign under Enrique’s first season exceeded all expectations, leaving much room for hope and excitement ahead of next season.
Another Blockbuster Offseason
Despite their feeble efforts to retain Mbappé, who starred throughout the 2023-24 season with 44 goals and 10 assists in 48 matches across all competitions before leaving on bad terms with PSG’s front office as a free agent for Madrid (we wrote about Mbappé’s ongoing litigation battle with PSG in previous newsletters — subscribe here), PSG nevertheless completed strategic and efficient signings. While Ugarte was also subject to a departure — sold for €50.0 million to EPL club Manchester United — the French capital club signed three players that would prove integral to the club’s collective success throughout the 2024-25 season:
23-year-old defender Willian Pacho, from Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt for €40.0 million);
20-year-old midfielder João Neves, from Primeira Liga club SL Benfica for €59.9 million and the one-loan of out-of-favour midfielder Renato Sanches; and
20-year-old forward Désiré Doué, from Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais for €50.0 million.
While Sanches and Spaniard midfielder Carlos Soler were sent on one-year loans — the latter went to EPL club West Ham United — PSG dispatched all other established veteran players who the club, supporters and pundits deemed as “undesirables” under this new leadership heralded by Enrique, Campos and Al-Khelaifi. Overall, another successful transfer market and offseason for the Portuguese mastermind Campos, who, along with the additions of defender Nuno Mendes and midfielders Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz in summer 2022, has been expanding the Portuguese and Spanish influence at PSG.
Kicking Off 2024-25 — August—December 2024
In Enrique’s second season presiding over this squad, PSG began the 2024-25 season in excellent fashion, garnering four consecutive wins and 10 wins in their first 12 Ligue 1 matches — throughout which they went undefeated. By the end of the 2024 calendar year, PSG mustered 12 wins and four draws throughout 16 league matches (out of 34).
However, under a new UCL format of eight league matches instead of six group stage matches, after five UCL league stage matches, PSG struggled mightily, producing only one win (1-0 at home against LaLiga club Girona FC, thanks to an own goal), one draw (1-1 at home against Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven) and three losses (2-0 away against EPL club Arsenal FC, 2-1 at home against LaLiga club Atlético Madrid and 1-0 away against Bundesliga club Bayern Munich).
To cap off the 2024 calendar year, PSG played their sixth UCL match (out of eight) of the league stage campaign, in which they returned to winning form with a 3-0 away victory against Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg. As well, Paris kicked off their 2024-25 Coupe de France campaign and title defence with a win on penalties (1-1 after full-time — Coupe de France matches do not have extra-time) against fellow Ligue 1 club RC Lens, advancing to that competition’s round of 32.
Leaping Into 2025 — The First Month
PSG kicked off January 2025 with a trip to Doha, the Qatari capital, where they were scheduled to play the 2024-25 Trophée des Champions match against Ligue 1 rivals AS Monaco, which finished second in Ligue 1 last season. Paris ultimately emerged victorious with an Ousmane Dembélé stoppage-time winning goal, the sole goal of the match. As a result, PSG kicked off 2025 by winning their record 13th Trophée des Champions title.
In Ligue 1 action, PSG played three matches throughout January, extending their unbeaten league campaign to 19 matches by winning their first two matches by 2-1 scores at home against AS Saint-Étienne and away against RC Lens and drawing 1-1 at home against Stade Reims. That 1-1 draw marked the debut of star forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who had arrived from Serie A club SSC Napoli for a base fee worth €70.0 million. In fine fashion, the Georgian international assisted PSG’s lone goal, which was scored by Dembélé.
In the Coupe de France round of 32, PSG defeated Championnat National 3/French fifth division club Espaly FC in what was a narrower-than-expected score of 4-2. PSG needed two late goals by Barcola and Ramos to seal the win.
However, PSG experienced a turning point in their season in UCL action in Janaury. Sitting in 25th place (out of 36) and flirting with a potentially humiliating and premature elimination from the UCL (clubs ranked 25 to 36 suffered elimination before the knockout stages), PSG had to overcome two difficult fixtures: a home match against 2023-24 EPL winners Manchester City and an away match resurgent, yet unpredictable Bundesliga club in VfB Stuttgart — both of which were neck-and-neck with PSG in the league stage table.
First, trailing 2-0 by the 60th minute against City, PSG unveiled their full potential to the world, scoring four consecutive goals — courtesy of 2023 newcomers Dembélé, Barcola and Ramos, and 2024 newcomer Neves, who scored the go-ahead and match-winning goal — and claiming an incredible 4-2 comeback victory. While that win all but secured a berth to the playoff knockout round — reserved for clubs that ranked 9th to 24th in the league stage — PSG confirmed their place in the knockout stages with a 4-1 victory against Stuttgart, thereby concluding their inaugural league stage campaign with a 15th-place finish and securing a home match for the second leg of the playoff round.
Domestic Dominance — February—Early May 2025
Following that turning point, PSG were simply unstoppable. With his tactics paying dividends, Enrique unlocked his players’ full potential. This potential materialized into reliable defending by centre-back Marquinhos and Pacho, impeccable ball control and playmaking by such midfielders as Neves, Ruiz and Vitinha, and efficient and relentless offence by not only the aforementioned forwards, but also by full-backs Mendes and Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi.
This offence, which exhibited a style of play akin to that of FC Barcelona during the height of the Lionel-Messi era, enabled Dembélé, Doué and Hakimi to produce a large number of goal contributions and climb up the echelon of the 2024-25 Ballon d’Or rankings.
In Ligue 1, PSG extended their unbeaten campaign until their 31st match, which they lost on April 25 at home against Nice. The following week, on matchday 32, PSG found themselves losing consecutive league matches for the first time since early April 2023 following a 2-1 away loss against a young and energetic Strasbourg squad. That loss also ended their 39-match unbeaten streak in away matches across all domestic competitions (Coupe de France, included), a newly established record among Europe’s top five leagues.
In Coupe de France, despite duelling against a difficult Ligue 1 opponent in the round of 64, PSG breezed through an easy bracket, which included the following results after their round of 32 matchup:
Round of 16: 2-0 win, away against Championnat National/French third division club Le Mans FC
Quarterfinals: 7-0 win, away against Championnat National 2 club Stade Briochin
Semifinals: 4-2 win, away against Ligue 2 club USL Dunkerque
PSG’s most difficult period throughout that run occurred early in their semifinal match against Dunkerque, during which they found themselves trailing 2-0 by the 27th minute. However, reminiscent of their UCL performance against City, Paris scored four unanswered goals to clinch their berth to the 2024-25 Coupe de France final, leaving Dunkerque players and supporters in heartbreak after an incredible Cinderella run.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop in Champions League Knockout Stages
However, PSG saved their best for the best in UCL. Les Parisiens carried their momentum with them from the league stage and Ligue 1 into the knockout rounds, beginning with an all-French showdown against UCL debutants Stade Brestois (Brest), which finished impressively in 18th place in the league table. The results were the following:
February 11 — Leg 1, at Stade Roudourou in Guimgamp: Brest 0-3 PSG
Scorers: Vitinha and Dembélé (X2)
February 19 — Leg 2, at Parc des Princes in Paris: PSG 7-0 Brest
Scorers: Barcola, Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Doué, Mendes, Ramos and Senny Mayulu
PSG’s 10-0 win against Brest represents the second-best record for the largest win on aggregate in a UCL knockout round, coming one goal short from equalizing Bayern Munich’s record against Primeira Liga club Sporting CP in 2008-09. That matchup finished 12-1 on aggregate.
From there, the club cruised to the round of 16, in which they duelled against EPL club Liverpool FC, the club that had finished in 1st place in the league stage and were front-runners to winning the 2024-25 EPL title. The matchup ended with PSG defeating Liverpool on penalties at Anfield, sending shockwaves across Europe to indicate that PSG are genuine UCL title contenders. Paris’s round of 16 results were the following:
March 5 — Leg 1, at Parc des Princes: PSG 0-1 Liverpool
Scorer: Harvey Elliott (see our One to Watch player profile)
March 11 — Leg 2, at Anfield in Liverpool: PSG 1-0 Liverpool (PSG win 4-1 on penalties)
Scorer: Dembélé
Then, in the quarterfinals, despite squandering a 2-0 match lead in the second leg, PSG held on and defeated EPL club Aston Villa 5-4 on aggregate, partly owing to the offensive heroics of full-backs Mendes and Hakimi who combined for three of PSG’s five goals, including both goals in the second leg. The French capital club’s results were the following:
April 9 — Leg 1, at Parc des Princes: PSG 3-1 Aston Villa
Scorers:
PSG: Doué, Kvaratskhelia and Mendes
Aston Villa: Morgan Rodgers
April 15 — Leg 2, at Villa Park in Birmingham: Aston Villa 3-2 PSG
Scorers:
PSG: Hakimi and Mendes
Aston Villa: Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa
In the semifinals, only their fifth in that competition in club history (1995, 2020, 2021 and 2024), PSG cruised past Arsenal with a comfortable 3-1 aggregate win, effectively defeating and/or eliminating every EPL club that competed in the 2024-25 UCL edition. PSG’s semifinal results were the following:
April 29 — Leg 1, at Emirates Stadium in London: Arsenal 0-1 PSG
Scorer: Dembélé
May 5 — Leg 2, at Parc des Princes: PSG 2-1 Arsenal
Scorers:
PSG: Ruiz and Hakimi
Arsenal: Bukayo Saka
PSG’s wins against City, Liverpool, Villa and Arsenal (X2) meant that PSG garnered as many wins against EPL clubs this season than 2024-25 UEFA Europa League (UEL) winners Tottenham Hotspur had between January and May 2025 (FA Cup and the UEL final against Manchester United, included).
Final Three Weeks
In the final three weeks of the 2024-25 season, PSG closed out their title-winning Ligue 1 campaign with two decisive victories: 4-1 away against Montpellier HSC and 3-1 at home against AJ Auxerre. One week later, on May 24, PSG glided to a 3-0 victory against Stade Reims, with that score being settled by the 43rd minute; Barcola and Hakimi scored for Paris, with the former scoring two goals.
With another week passing, on May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, PSG played in the 2024-25 UCL final, the ultimate match and the most important match in club history! Impervious to the pressure, this young PSG squad crushed a veteran-filled Inter Milan squad by a whopping 5-0 score, the largest score produced in a European Cup/UCL final — ever! PSG have finally won the Holy Grail of club football — the ultimately goal of Qatari Sports Investment when they bought the club in summer 2011!
PSG’s UCL final triumph comprised the following scorers (and minutes at which they scored): Hakimi (12’), Doué (23’ & 63’), Kvaratskhelia (73’) & Mayulu (86’). At 19 years and 14 days old, Mayulu, a recent PSG academy graduate, became the second-youngest player to score in a UCL final, trailing only then-AFC Ajax forward Patrick Kluivert, who scored the 1994-95 UCL final’s lone goal at the age of 18 years and 327 days!
A Season To Remember
For the first time in club history, PSG not only won the UCL title, but achieved the quadruple, winning Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophée des Champions and UCL. They also became the ninth club to win the treble — domestic league title and cup titles, and the UCL title — joining the likes of Barcelona (2008-09 and 2014-15), Bayern Munich (2012-13 and 2019-20), Inter Milan (2009-10), Manchester City (2022-23), Manchester United (1998-99), Eredivisie clubs Ajax (1971-22) and PSV Eindhoven (1987-88), Scottish Premiership club Celtic FC (1966-67).
PSG manager Enrique became the second manager after Pep Guardiola to win the treble twice, having achieved the feat with Barcelona in 2014-15. As well, the Spaniard boasts a stunning 12-0 record across all competitions’ finals in which he managed, from Copa del Rey to Coupe de France to UCL.
Regarding PSG’s European triumph, according to Canal+, the club also became the second-youngest squad to win a UCL title, with the average squad age at 25 years and 96 days. Ajax’s 1994-95 squad remains the youngest to have won the UCL, defeating AC Milan Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna.
PSG managed to achieve this triumph in large part due to Luis Enrique’s brilliant tactical vision, emphasizing tactical fluidity and team cohesion over individual performances. His tactics, which comprised fast-paced passing and high-press attacking depleted and suffocated their opponents, from those in the fifth division in France to the EPL’s 2023-24 top-four finishers. PSG style of play combines raw football skills — including precise passing, technical dribbling moves and pointed through balls — and athleticism, particularly long and fast runs down the wing during counterattacks. PSG’s football is simply art, with Doué being the master artist displaying flashy skills, efficient dribbling through defenders and scoring goals with incredible high-powered and accurate shots.
Moreover, PSG’s €180.0 million prize money collected from winning the UCL will enable them to spend this money efficiently, as they have throughout the last couple of seasons. Before the offseason, however, PSG will be competing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States. Grouped with Atlético Madrid, Brazilian Série A club Botafogo and MLS club Seattle Sounders, Paris will play their opening group match on June 15 against Atlético Madrid at Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Should they win that trophy, Les Parisiens will have hoisted a series of titles that no club has ever accomplished!
Comment below your thoughts on PSG’s performances throughout the 2024-25 season!
