Paris Saint-Germain F.C.

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Paris Saint-Germain

Full name	Paris Saint-Germain Football Club
Nickname(s)	PSG Paris SG Les Rouge-et-Bleu Les Parisiens
Founded	12 August 1970
Ground	Parc des Princes, Paris (Capacity: 48,713)
Owner	Butler Capital Partners Colony Capital
Chairman	Robin Leproux
Manager	Antoine Kombouaré
League	Ligue 1
2008–09	L1, 6th
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Paris Saint-Germain Football Club,^[1] also known simply as Paris Saint-Germain and familiarly as Paris SG or PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. It was founded on August 12, 1970, thanks to the merger of Paris FC (a pool of financial investors) and Stade Saint-Germain. After 20,000 subscriptions from individuals desperate to see an elite football club in Paris, a group of local businessmen, led by Guy Crescent, CEO of Calberson and Pierre-Étienne Guyot, Vice-president of RCF Paris, asked the directors of Stade Sangermanois to become part of their project. The creation of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. marked the reappearance of a major club in Paris after the decline of Racing Paris, Red Star, Stade Français and CA Paris.^[2] The club's motto is "Paris Est Magique".

Paris Saint-Germain has been playing in the Ligue 1 since 1974, the current championship record. The capital club is one of the most prestigious outfits in French football having won two Ligue 1 titles, seven Coupes de France, a record three Coupes de la Ligue and two Trophées des champions. PSG is, with Olympique de Marseille, the only French club to have won a European competition, claiming the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996.^[3]

The club's stadium is the Parc des Princes, the third largest stadium in France with a capacity of 48,713 seats. It has been PSG's stadium since 1974.^[4] The Camp des Loges has been operating as a training center for the club since 1974.^[5] On April 11, 2006, the club was bought by a consortium comprising American investment company Colony Capital, French investment company, Butler Capital Partners, and American investment bank, Morgan Stanley.^[6] On 30 June 2009, Colony Capital acquired all the shares of Morgan Stanley, becoming owners of the 95% of the club.^[7]

PSG's traditional colours are a blue shirt with a red central vertical bar framed by white edgings. It was designed by fashion designer Daniel Hechter, who collaborated with the club to design the iconic shirt which would become a strong symbol of the club. This shirt was first used between 1973 and 1974 in Division 2.^[8] The current badge was adopted in 2002. The logo consists of a red silhouette of the Eiffel Tower with the royal white cradle of Louis XIV underneath it and a blue background.^[9]

Paris Saint-Germain enjoys a considerable amount of popularity; about 11% of French population support the club. PSG is the second most popular football club in France after Olympique de Marseille.^[10] Their average home gate for the 2008–09 season was 40,902, the second highest in the Ligue 1.^[11] PSG fans are known as Les Parisiens. The club shares an intense rivalry with Olympique de Marseille and contest the most notorious football match in France, known as Le Classique.^[12][13]

As of September 2009, Paris Saint-Germain is the third richest club in France after Marseille and Lyon. PSG was also one of the 14 founder members of the now-defunct G-14 group of the leading European football clubs and is member of its modern replacement, the European Club Association. The club also operates a reserve team, Paris Saint-Germain FC (res.), and a female section since 1971.^[14]

In 1994, PSG was ranked first in the Club World Ranking made by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics.^[15] The capital club is the only French club to ever achieve this honor. From 1994 to 1998, PSG finished in the top ten of Club World Ranking. As of November 2, 2009, the club is ranked 51st.^[16] PSG was also ranked 1st in the UEFA coefficient of Top Clubs in 1998. PSG is also the only French club to ever achieve this honor.^[17]

Contents 1 History 2 Notable players 3 Managers 4 Presidents 5 Rivalries 5.1 Le Classique 6 Crest & Colours 7 Ownership & Finances 8 Stadiums 9 Supporters 10 Honours 11 Current squad 11.1 Out on loan 12 Reserves & Academy 13 PSG Ladies 14 Photo gallery 15 Bibliography 16 References 17 External links

[edit] History

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (September 2009)

The last two seasons may have tested the patience of the fans, but Paris Saint-Germain remain one of the most prestigious outfits in French football. Along with Stade de Reims, AS Saint-Étienne, Olympique de Marseille and Girondins de Bordeaux, the capital side have at times captured the imagination of the entire country. Despite currently being Ligue 1's longest tenants after an uninterrupted 34-year spell, PSG are one of the top flight's youngest teams in absolute terms. Compared to 136-year-old veterans Le Havre AC, 129-year-old Bordeaux or even 109-year-old Marseille, the Parc des Princes side are relative adolescents, in fact. Established on 12 August 1970 after a merger between Stade Saint-Germain and a group of investors united under the banner of virtual club Paris FC, PSG have always represented both Paris and nearby Saint-Germain-en-Laye. And with so many people eager to see a big club wearing the capital's colours once again, the nascent team grew at a stunning pace early on. Top-tier status was attained within four years and by the end of the 70s, the Red-and-Blues were ready to embark upon a historic decade. With charismatic presidents Daniel Hechter and, later, Francis Borelli setting the tone, the likes of Carlos Bianchi, Mustapha Dahleb, Safet Sušić and Luis Fernández became the club's first stars, followed closely behind by its first titles. PSG tasted French Cup honours in 1982 and 1983, before capturing their first league crown in 1986 - breakthroughs that opened the doors to Europe and some memorable encounters, particularly with Juventus in 1983 and 1989.

As significant as those successes were, however, the 90s proved even more fruitful, with PSG entering a golden age after television giants Canal+ bought the club in May 1991. Now enjoying serious investment, the capital outfit were able to set their sights steadily higher. Two seasons later, the Parc des Princes welcomed back UEFA Cup football in what would prove to be an unforgettable campaign given the calibre of opponent: PAOK, Napoli, Anderlecht and Real Madrid all fell by the wayside before PSG once again succumbed to their bête noire (Black Beast), Juventus, in the last four. That defeat notwithstanding, the club were on the move and between 1992 and 1998 they contested two UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals – winning in 1996 – reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals once and twice advanced to the same stage of the UEFA Cup. On the domestic scene, results were just as satisfying, with PSG celebrating another Ligue 1 title, three Coupe de France, two Coupe de la Ligue and just as many Trophée des champions wins. At the time, the players lighting up the Parc were also mainstays of their national sides. Bernard Lama, Alain Roche, Paul Le Guen, Vincent Guérin, David Ginola and Youri Djorkaeff all enjoyed stints with France, while Ricardo, Valdo, Raí and Leonardo were regulars for Brazil. But perhaps the greatest talent of all was prolific Liberian marksman George Weah, who followed in the footsteps of PSG's many fine strikers by firing 55 goals in 137 games.

To the considerable chagrin of the club's supporters, PSG have never threatened to hit those same heights since. Three more trophies have been landed and the Parc des Princes faithful got to marvel at the likes of Marco Simone, Jay-Jay Okocha, Nicolas Anelka, Ronaldinho, Gabriel Heinze, Juan Pablo Sorín, Mario Yepes and Pauleta, but crisis has never lain far away. Indeed, the last two seasons were spent staving off relegations that were only very narrowly avoided. In recent seasons, PSG's form has slipped from 9th position in 2004-05 and in 2005-06. In 2006-07, they did not impress, failing to reach either cup final and finishing 15th in the league, just three places from relegation. Installed in January 2007, coach Paul Le Guen has made it his mission to rebuild PSG following their sale by Canal+. Some astute summer trading brought proven campaigners Claude Makélélé, Ludovic Giuly and Mateja Kežman to the capital, and they have added their experience to a young and humble core of players including Mamadou Sakho, Clément Chantôme, Younousse Sankharé and Guillaume Hoarau. But the club continued to lose momentum in the league (six defeats, two draws and one win in nine league outings through March-April, eventually finishing in 16th position, just three points above the relegation zone), it nonetheless won the 2008 League Cup, and reached the French Cup final, losing 1-0 to Ligue 1 champions Lyon. In the 2008-09 season, although PSG finished 6th in the league out of European action, team regain fitness even getting to 2nd place in the Ligue 1, reaching the semifinals in the Coupe de la Ligue (losing to Bordeaux) and quarterfinals in the UEFA Cup (losing to Dynamo Kiev). A great advance in comparison to the last two seasons, but not fully satisfying as in the last matches the club failed to match the heights because of political problems.

[edit] Notable players

Player Matches   Jean-Marc Pilorget 435   Safet Sušić 343   Paul Le Guen 343   Bernard Lama 315   Mustapha Dahleb 306 Player  Goals    Pedro Miguel Pauleta 109   Dominique Rocheteau  100   Mustapha Dahleb 98   François M'Pelé 97   Safet Sušić 85   Raí 72   Carlos Bianchi 71

Jean Djorkaeff, captain of the French national football team, joined Paris Saint-Germain in June 1970. He was the first licensed professional player of the club. While at the club Djorkaeff made 16 appearances for France.^[18] Tchouki was PSG's captain for two seasons until the split between the Parisians and the Sangermanois in May 1972. He was reticent to the club's split: "It was good in Saint-Germain, we felt at home ... When we became Paris FC, we felt as lost children."^[19]

Under the presidency of Daniel Hechter (1974-1978), Paris SG shocked everyone in France, paying Sedan a record 1.3m francs for Argelian star Mustapha Dahleb in 1974.^[20] He became the club's top scorer in the championship with 85 goals and third top scorer in all competitions with 98 goals.^[21] Moumous formed a formidable striking partnership alongside French midfielder Jean-Pierre Dogliani and Congolese striker François M'Pelé. The latter scored 97 goals in all competitions.^[22] In 1977, Argentinian star, Carlos Bianchi, arrived to the capital and in his first season he scored 37 goals in 38 league matches. El Goleador spent two seasons at the capital, recording 71 goals with two awards for top scorer of the Ligue 1.^[23]

During the presidency of Francis Borelli, the likes of Dominique Baratelli, Luis Fernández, Dominique Bathenay, Nabatingue Toko, Dominique Rocheteau, Ivica Šurjak, Safet Sušić, Joël Bats, and Gabriel Calderón were the club's stars. Bathenay joined the club in 1978 and became the leader of the defense and the captain until 1985. In 1980 the club signed Dominique Green Angel Rocheteau, the best striker in France at the time. He scored 100 goals with PSG's jersey, becoming the club's all-time top scorer.^[24] Jean-Marc Pilorget, who played 435 matches for PSG, became the club's all-time most capped player.^[25] Safet Sušić was the most emblematic foreign player. The Yugoslav international was never injured nor suspended, thus allowing him to score 85 goals and make a record 61 assists for PSG between 1982 and 1991. Ivica Šurjak was another notable player thanks in part to his two assists during the final of the Coupe de France in 1982.

With the arrival of Canal + in 1991, many leading players signed for PSG: the French internationals Laurent Fournier, David Ginola, Paul Le Guen, Bernard Lama, Vincent Guérin, Alain Roche and Youri Djorkaeff, Brazilian internationals Ricardo, Valdo, Leonardo and Raí, the Italian international Marco Simone and Liberian international George Weah, joined French internationals Daniel Bravo and Antoine Kombouaré, key players who saw the end of the Borelli era and the beginning of the Canal + era. George Weah won the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1995.

After the presidency of Michel Denisot (1991-1998), the arrivals included the French international Nicolas Anelka, the Nigerian international Jay-Jay Okocha, the Argentine internationals Gabriel Heinze and Juan Pablo Sorín, the Brazilian international Ronaldinho and Portuguese striker Pauleta. Ronaldinho became the star of the capital club and a fan favourite. But in 2003, he left the club after PSG failed to qualify for any European competition. Pauleta became the top scorer in the history of PSG with 109 goals.

[edit] Managers

There have been 23 managers of Paris Saint-Germain since the appointment of the club's first professional manager, Pierre Phelipon in 1970. The longest-running manager in terms of time and games is Luis Fernández (1994-96, 2000-03) with 244 matches. He is also the most successful manager with five major trophies won: one Coupe de France, one Coupe de la Ligue, one Trophée des champions, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and one UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Only managers who have won at least one trophy are mentioned.^[26]

Name	Period	Trophies											Total
		Domestic					International
		L1	L2	CF	CL	TC	UCL	CWC	UEL	UIC	USC	FCWC
Pierre Phelipon	1970–72	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		1
Georges Peyroche	1979-83, 1984-85	-	-	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		2
Gérard Houllier	1985-88	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-			1
Artur Jorge	1991-94, 1998-99	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-			2
Luis Fernández	1994-96, 2000-03	-	-	1	1	1	-	1	-	1			5
Ricardo	1996-98	-	-	1	1	1	-	-	-	-			3
Vahid Halilhodžić	2003-05	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-			1
Laurent Fournier	2005-06	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-	-			1
Paul Le Guen	2007-2009	-	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-			1
Total	1970–2009	2	1	7	3	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	17

[edit] Presidents

There have been 15 presidents of Paris Saint-Germain since the appointment of the club's first president, Pierre-Étienne Guyot in 1970. The longest-running president is Francis Borelli (1978-1991). Michel Denisot is the most successful president with nine major trophies won: one Ligue 1, three Coupes de France, two Coupes de la Ligue, two Trophées des Champions and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. In addition, the PSG association has known three chairmen since 1991.^[27]

Since its foundation, Paris Saint-Germain has had 15 presidents.

As of 21 September 2009.

Presidents of Paris Saint-Germain
1970–1971 Pierre-Étienne Guyot  1971 Guy Crescent 1971–1974 Henri Patrelle 1974–1978 Daniel Hechter 1978–1991 Francis Borelli 1991–1998 Michel Denisot 1998 Charles Biétry 1998–2003 Laurent Perpère	2003–2005 Francis Graille 2005–2006 Pierre Blayau 2006–2008 Alain Cayzac 2008 Simon Tahar 2008–2009 Charles Villeneuve 2009 Sébastien Bazin 2009– Robin Leproux

In addition, the PSG association has known three chairmen since 1991

As of 21 September 2009.

Presidents of Paris Saint-Germain
1991–2001 Bernard Brochand  2001-2006 Alain Cayzac 2006–2008 Simon Tahar

[edit] Rivalries

[edit] Le Classique

PSG-OM or OM-PSG, often referred to as Le Classique (The Classic) is a football match that is contested between French clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. The term Classique is modeled on the El Clásico, which is contested between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Like all the game's major rivalries, the antipathy between the two extends outside the pitch. The so-called French clásico has a historical, cultural and social importance that makes it more than a simple football game, facing capital against province and the chosen ones of French football against its enfants terribles (terrible boys). With PSG being located up north in the French capital, Paris, the rivalry is often referred to as the North versus the South due to Olympique Marseille playing in the southern coast city Marseille. PSG and l'OM are the only French clubs to have won European trophies, having won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1996 and the UEFA Champions League in 1993 respectively, and were the two dominant forces before the appearance of Lyon at the beginning of the 21st century. However, despite their recent ups and downs, the duo remain, along with Saint-Étienne, the only French clubs with a truly, faithful and passionate fan base, giving the country's biggest match a special atmosphere.^[12][13]

[edit] Crest & Colours

The Stade Saint-Germain club played mainly in white until 1970,^[28] when they merged with Paris FC and adopted the red and blue colors of Paris combined with the white of Saint-Germain. The first strip design of the fledgling PSG in 1970 was red with white shorts and blue socks,^[29] with white and blue trim. The logo of the equipment supplier (Le Coq Sportif) was generally not displayed (depending on shirt) whereas the following season it was, a trend that continued in the future. In another change to the previous season, a solid blue trim with no white appeared, as the white shorts and blue socks remained.

Fashion designer Daniel Hechter collaborated with the club in May 1973 to design an iconic shirt which would become a strong symbol of the club. It was composed of a blue shirt with a red central vertical bar framed by white edgings. This shirt was first used between 1973 and 1974 in Division 2.^[30] The tone and shade of the red and blue has changed over time, as has the dimension and alignment of the red central band. This shirt is in use to the present day, despite proposed implementations of new designs, with the main reason being the supporters' rejection. A reversed version (red with a blue central vertical bar) was in use as the away shirt design in the late 70s.

Francis Borelli succeeded Hechter, and was the first to try to replace the former design, with a predominantly white shirt decorated with two fine red and blue vertical bands.^[31] Initially the away shirt, the white design became the home shirt in 1981; Hechter's blue shirt becoming the away design. In 1990, a stylized Eiffel Tower design replaced the vertical bars; this shirt remained in use for two seasons and represented the change between the Borelli and Canal + eras. Between 1992 and 1993, the club adopted a white shirt with blue shoulders.

The white design was abandoned in 1993 in favour of a red and blue shirt, which was quickly replaced in 1994 with a return to Hechter's design. The collar design varied, but the colours remained identical until 2000. From then, the blue was replaced in favour of navy blue and the white edgings disappeared, causing the supporters' anger.^[32] Risking backlash from supporters, the club once again modified the shirt in 2001, reducing the width of the vertical red bar and moving the alignment from the centre to the left. In 2002, the white edgings made their reappearance around the red band which was still thinner and aligned to the left. This shirt design was kept for three seasons. In 2005, the club returned to the 'historical' shirt. In 2006, the red band was reduced in width again, but remained central. For the 2009-10 season, the club have introduced a new design which consists of a navy top with red pinstripes.^[33]

The away shirt was mainly white before 1981, then again from 1993. Between these two dates, the blue/red home design was used. A grey and white shirt, between 1999 and 2000, and a crimson shirt, between 2006 and 2007, have also been used as away shirts. The current away shirt is white with small grey polka dots.^[33]

Le Coq Sportif were the original equipment supplier from 1970 to 1975. Adidas took over from 1975 to 1976 season, before a return to the first brand between 1976 and 1977. Pony was the supplier between 1977 and 1978, before another joint effort with Le Coq Sportif, from 1978 to 1986. Adidas returned until 1989, at which point Nike took over supply duties, and they remain the equipment supplier to the present day.^[34]
 

1970–1973

1973–1981

1981–1990

1994–2001

2001–2005

2005–2006

2006–2007

2007–2008

2008–2009

2009–

1970-1972 1972-1982 & 1990-1992 1982-1990 1986-1987 (for the Olympic Games in Paris in 1992) 1992-1996 1996-2002 since 2002 Coat of arms of Saint-Germain-en-Laye

PSG's first logo appeared in 1970 and was used until 1972 when Paris FC split from Stade Saint-Germain, who kept with the name of Paris Saint-Germain. That same year, the logo was changed to the current one with the Eiffel Tower and the royal cradle underneath it. This logo was first used as merchandising, but then it was adopted as the emblem of the club until the arrival of Daniel Hechter in 1982. Hechter maintained the logo but added an image of the Parc des Princes underneath it. The new crest would last until 1990, when Canal + bought the club. Between 1986 and 1987, PSG adopted the logo of the Paris bid to host the 1992 Summer Olympics. In 1992, two years after the arrival of Canal +, the club's crest was completely changed, dropping Hechter's design and creating a new one, with the acronym "PSG" and underneath it the club's name. This new design, mainly used for the direction of the club's communication, would last until 1996. Despite this, the Eiffel Tower logo was present in PSG's shirt. The club's current logo was unveiled for the first time in 1996. Following Hechter's design, the logo was slightly changed and given a more modern touch. The club's name and date of foundation were added above the Eiffel Tower and underneath the royal cradle respectively. In 2002, the crest suffered, once again, slight changes in its colours.

The current logo consists of a red silhouette of the Eiffel Tower with a royal white cradle underneath it and a blue background. PSG's logo represents Paris in its employment of the Eiffel Tower, and Saint-Germain-en-Laye through the berceau royale, or royal cradle, taken from its coat of arms. Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain (the city's coat of arms consequently shows a cradle and the date of his birth). This reference to Louis XIV in the club's badge is very important because he increased the power and influence of France over Europe, thus the country achieving political, military and cultural power that contributed to the prestige of France, its population and language. Also the club's crest, reflects the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain, into a new club. This is similar to the way "United" in English football reflects the merger of two or more clubs into a new one (e.g., Manchester United, Newcastle United)^[9]

[edit] Ownership & Finances

PSG was managed by Daniel Hechter (1974-1978) and Francis Borelli (1978-1991), before being purchased by the French media company Canal+ in 1991. The takeover of the club by Canal+ happened gradually. Canal+ started buying shares in the club in 1991, but it wasn’t until 1997 that the TV channel owned the majority. After June 2001, Canal+ obtained another 34% of the shares, and in August 2005, they obtained the remaining 2% held by Alain Cayzac, making Canal+ PSG's sole shareholder. On 11 April 2006, Canal+ announced the sale of the club to its new owners, a consortium comprising American investment company Colony Capital, French investment company, Butler Capital Partners, and American investment bank, Morgan Stanley. The club was sold for a reported sum of 41 million euros, with Canal+ taking responsibility for the debt run up by the club under its direction. This sale became effective on 20 June 2006, after Alain Cayzac replaced Blayau.^[6] On 30 June 2009, Colony Capital acquired all the shares of Morgan Stanley, becoming owners of the 95% of the club.^[7]

The publication of the financial results for the 1970-1971 season revealed 205.200 francs in losses and 1.776.950 francs of revenue.^[35] Like many other French clubs, PSG has to often deal with financial deficits. Thanks to the money of Daniel Hechter and Canal +'s own pocket, the club has been able to maintain their prestige. The case of double tickets in the Parc des Princes, cost Hechter's position as president in January 1978 and PSG was placed under tight control by the financial authorities. Though it initially reduced the debts, the competition of RCF Paris forced PSG to increase their budget, thus failing to pay off their debts between 1986 and 1990. Racing abandoned their professional status in June 1990 and left PSG with a deficit of 50 million francs.^[36] The poor performance, both sporting and financially, under the presidency of Francis Borelli, saw PSG being bought by Canal + on 31 May 1991.

The takeover of the club by Canal+ happened gradually. Canal+ started buying shares in the club in 1991, but it wasn’t until 1997 that the TV channel owned the majority. After June 2001, Canal+ obtained another 34% of the shares, and in August 2005, they obtained the remaining 2% held by Alain Cayzac, making Canal+ PSG's sole shareholder.

From 1991 to 1998, PSG remains sound finances and expenditures of the club settled at around 50 million euros per season, taking advantage of the rise of power from football TV rights, doubling the number of spectators at the Parc des Princes as well as an excellent performance in national and European cups. Since the departure of Michel Denisot, the club has accumulated 96 million euros of debt in June 2002.^[37] The net debt fell to 8 million euros in June 2004 by recapitalizing the club. However, the day finances stayed red. Thus, for the season 2004-2005, the club told the DNCG the expenditure of 87.037 million euros for a deficit of 17.801 million euros and a turnover of 69 million real euros. Numbers published by the DNCG, reported 20.823 million euros from ticketing, 13.793 million euros from sponsors, 31.270 million from TV rights, 2.371 million euros in grants and 1.117 million euros from merchandising. Excluding transfers, other income sources are less than one million euros. On the expenditure side, salaries for players and staff amounted to 40.655 million euros, with 9.012 in expenses. Other taxes totaled 5.806 million euros.^[38]

For the 2005-2006 season, PSG was the only French club with a large deficit, totalling losses of 13.456 million euros. Despite the absence of PSG in European cups, the actual turnover of the club was of 80.364 million euros (16% higher than the previous season). Numbers published by the DNCG, reported 19.179 million euros from ticketing (-8%), 17.440 million from sponsors (+21%), 34.331 million euros from TV rights (+9%), 2.357 million euros in grants (-1%) and 0.833 million euros from merchandising (-34%). On the expenditure side, salaries for players and staff amounted to 50.064 million euros (+19%) with 9.927 in expenses (+10%). Other taxes totaled 5.391 million euros (-8%).^[39]

According to AFP the amount of the club's sale in 2006 to Colony Capital, Butler Capital Partners and Morgan Stanley would be of 41 million euros for an initial amount requested by Canal + of 80 million euros, with the accumulated debt of the club lying with the pay channel, calling the club's financial counters to zero. So the budget for the current season is estimated to be around 65 million euros.

[edit] Stadiums

For approximately 70 years, the Camp des Loges was home to Stade Saint-Germain until the club's fusion with fellow local club Paris FC. Following the foundation of Paris Saint-Germain in 1974, the Camp des Loges began operating as a training center for the club. The PSG training center officially opened on 4 November 1975 with Pedro Alonso being installed as the club's first director. In March 2006, in order to modernize the center, Paris Saint-Germain announced that the club would temporarily vacate the Camp des Loges in order for the facilities to be renovated.^[40] The renovations officially started in January 2008 and were completed on 4 October 2008. The entire process cost €5 million. The new Camp des Loges, located 400 meters from the old, was inaugurated on 4 November 2008.

The Stade Georges Lefèvre of the Camp des Loges was, from 1904 to 1970, the main stadium of Stade Saint-Germain. When the club merged with Paris FC to form Paris Saint-Germain in 1970, the stadium became PSG's home until 1974. It was renamed Stade Georges Lefèvre in 1945, for the player of the Stade Saint-Germain who died at the front in 1940.

During the 1970–71 season, PSG played some matches at the Stade Jean-Bouin, but the attendance was lower than in the Stade Georges Lefèvre, so the club chose to play in Saint-Germain. During the season 1971–72 in Division 1, PSG played its home matches at the Stade de Paris, Saint-Ouen. PSG had to play a few games at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in Colombes (once in 1974–75) ^[41] and the Stade de Paris (once in 1977-1978 and twice in 1978-79) because the park was unavailable due to work on the lawn.

On 10 November 1973, Paris SG held its first match at the Parc des Princes during a Division 2 match against Red Star Saint-Ouen. PSG won the match 3–1.^[42][43] It wasn't until 1974 that PSG left the Stade Georges Lefèvre and became Le Parc's sole tenant. In 1992, after the club was bought by Canal +, the TV channel took control of the SESE, company which holded the concession to the Parc des Princes since June 1988. PSG now paid their rent to Canal +.^[44] On 28 June 1999, the City of Paris extended the concession from the Parc des Princes for another 15 years. On 18 February 2002, PSG fully appropriates the stadium and the headquarters of the club are moved to a new building. After the club was sold by Canal + to a consortium comprising American investment company Colony Capital, French investment company, Butler Capital Partners, and American investment bank, Morgan Stanley on 11 April 2006, the City of Paris extended the concession until 2014. Le Parc was previously the national stadium until the Stade de France was built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Les Bleus have returned to the Parc des Princes only once since the opening of the Stade de France in 1998. On 12 September 2007, they were defeated 1–0 by Scotland in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier. The stadium also hosted the final of the Coupe de la Ligue and the Coupe de France. The Coupe de France final and the Coupe de la Ligue final of 1997 were the last held at the Parc des Princes. The Parc des Princes hosted one of France's greatest football achievements, the 2–0 victory over Spain in the 1984 European Championship final. It was also the scene of one of French football's most spectacular disasters on 17 November 1993, when Les Bleus were beaten 2–1 by Bulgaria in the last minute of play and thus failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States. At the club level, Le Parc has been the scene of some of Paris Saint-Germain's most memorable European games, in particular a 4–1 victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Cup quarter-final in 1993 in which PSG scored the crucial last goal on the very last play of the game. The stadium also hosted various 2007 Rugby World Cup matches including the Argentina-Ireland showdown.

The highest average home attendance of PSG was registered during the 1999-2000 season with 43,185 spectators per game.^[45] 49,575 spectators is the attendance record and was registered in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals match between PSG and SV Waterschei Thor on 2 March 1983. PSG's average home gate for the 2008–09 season was 40,902, the second highest in the Ligue 1.^[11]

Evolution of the average home attendance from Paris-SG since the 1970–71 season^[45]

[edit] Supporters

The supporters of the club are known as parisiens (parisians). In France, about 11% of the population are said to be PSG sympathisers, surpassed only by those of Olympique de Marseille (20%) with Olympique Lyon tied with PSG and Girondins de Bordeaux close behind with 10%.^[10] Worldwide, Paris Saint-Germain is also the second most popular french club, surpassed only by Olympique de Marseille and followed close behind by Olympique Lyonnais.^[46] The current president of the French government, Nicolas Sarkozy, is one of the club's most prominent supporters.^[47]

PSG are known to draw their support from both far-right white nationalists and a cross-section of Île de France's multi-ethnic population. The Kop of Boulogne (KOB) is an area in the Parc des Princes which houses supporters groups associated with the French football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). It is known as the "most notorious stand in French football" due to its links with violence and far-right political groups and is a symbol for football hooliganism and political extremism within French culture.^[48] The KOB has been linked with hooliganism since the 1980s and continutes to be associated with violent elements within the PSG support.^[48] Indeed, the Kop has become synonymous in French public opinion with not only football hooliganism, but racism and fascism due to a number of high profile incidents. The Boys now stand at the Boulogne end of the Parc des Princes. Some nationalists stand at the far right. The Boulogne Boys have been fighting other PSG fans for years. However, the simplistic notion that the Boulogne Boys are all far-right supporters has been disavowed as many supporters have rejected the attempts of right-wing parties to infiltrate their ranks.^{[citation needed]} There has been a large rise of violence in French football and much has been attributed to PSG supporters.^[49] In the 90s, fans of PSG fought with supporters from Belgium, England, Germany, Italy and Scotland.^[50] In 2000, the bitter rivalry between PSG and Marseille turned violent.^[51]

[edit] Honours

Ligue 1[52] (2) Winners : 1986, 1994 Runners-up (5) : 1989, 1993,[53] 1996, 1997, 2000, 2004 Ligue 2 (1) Winners : 1971 Coupe de France (7) Winners : 1982, 1983, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2004, 2006 Runners-up (3) : 1985, 2003, 2008 Coupe de la Ligue (3 - record) Winners : 1995, 1998, 2008 Runners-up (1) : 2000 Trophée des Champions[54] (2) Winners : 1995, 1998 Runners-up (3) : 1987, 2004, 2006 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1) Winners : 1996 Runners-up (1) : 1997 UEFA Intertoto Cup (1) Winners : 2001 Achievements : UEFA Champions League Semifinalists (1) : 1995 UEFA Europa League Semifinalists (1) : 1993 UEFA Super Cup Runners-up (1) : 1996

Other titles : Championnat DH Paris (1) : 1991 Tournament of Paris (7) : 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1993 International Tournament of Troyes (1) : 1980 [55] Palma de Mallorca Trophy (1) : 1982 [56] International Tournament of Sedan (1) : 1992 [57] Ceramics Trophy of Villarreal (1) : 2001 Memorial Artemio Franchi (1) : 2009 [58] Youth Titles Coupe Gambardella (1) Winners : 1991 Runners-up (3) : 1978, 1989, 1998 Championnat National Under-18 (1) Winners : 2006 Championnat National Under-16 Runners-up (1) : 2008 Championnat de France Cadets (1) Winners : 1988 Runners-up (1) : 1980 Féminines D2 Féminine (1) Winners : 2001 Runners-up (1) : 1983, 1985 Challenge de France Runners-up (1) : 2008

In 1994, PSG was ranked 1st in the Club World Raking made by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics.^[15] PSG is the only French club to ever achieve this honor. From 1993 to 1997, PSG finished in the top ten of Club World Raking (9th in 1993,^[59] 1st in 1994,^[15] 6th in 1995,^[60] 10th in 1996^[61] and 8th in 1997.^[62] The IFFHS publishes a ranking taking into account the results over the past twelve months. PSG has been five times first in this mensual rankings.^[63] Taking into account the period from 1991 to 2008, PSG is ranked 24th globally, being the highest ranked French club after Lyon.^[64] As of November 2, 2009, the club is ranked 51st.^[16] Since the creation of this ranking, four other French clubs have reached the top 10: Lyon two times (7th in 2005 and 8th in 2006), Marseille (3rd in 1991), Auxerre (7th in 1996) and Monaco (8th in 2004).

In 1998, PSG was ranked 1st in the UEFA coefficient of Top Clubs. PSG is also the only French club to ever achieve this honor.^[17]

[edit] Current squad

As of the 21 October 2009.

No. Position Player 1 GK Grégory Coupet 2 DF Ceará 3 DF Mamadou Sakho 4 MF Claude Makélélé 6 DF Grégory Bourillon 7 MF Ludovic Giuly 8 FW Péguy Luyindula 9 FW Guillaume Hoarau 10 MF Stéphane Sessegnon 11 FW Mevlüt Erdinç 12 MF Albert Baning 13 DF Sammy Traoré 15 DF Zoumana Camara

No. Position Player 16 GK Willy Grondin 17 MF Granddi Ngoyi 18 FW Loris Arnaud 20 MF Clément Chantôme 21 FW Jean-Eudes Maurice 22 DF Sylvain Armand (vice-captain) 23 MF Jérémy Clément 24 MF Tripy Makonda 26 DF Christophe Jallet 27 MF Younousse Sankharé 29 FW Yannick Boli 30 GK Apoula Edel

[edit] Out on loan

No. Position Player FW Mateja Kežman (at Zenit Saint Petersburg) MF Jérôme Rothen (at Rangers) FW Everton Santos (at Albirex Niigata)

French teams are limited to three players without EU citizenship. Players from the ACP countries—countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific that are signatories to the Cotonou Agreement—are not counted against non-EU quotas due to the Kolpak ruling.

The first team is managed by Antoine Kombouaré (Manager), accompanied by Yves Bertucci (Assistant), Nicolas Dehon (Goalkeeper Trainer) and Raphaël Fèvre (Physical Trainer). The medical staff is composed of Éric Rolland (Doctor) and Bruno Le Natur and Jérôme Andral (Physiotherapists).^[65]

[edit] Reserves & Academy

For the reserve and academy squads, see Camp des Loges.

In the 2009-2010 season, PSG's reserve team is competing in the Group C of the Championnat de France Amateurs. The reserves have won the Championship of the Northern Division in 1987^[66] and three Coupe de Paris in 1972,^[67] 1973^[68] and 1980,^[69] now played by the club's third team.

Paris Saint-Germain have a number of school facilities for the youngsters, these competing since the 1963 Coupe Gambardella. The youngsters have won the cup in 1991,^[70] reaching the final in 1978,^[71], 1989^[72] and 1998^[73] and the semifinals in 1972,^[74][75] 1975,^[76] 1986,^[77] 1990^[78] and 2001.^[79]

The junior team won the French championship in 1988.^[80] PSG reached the final in 1980^[81] and the semifinals in 1985^[82] and 1989.^[83] From 1990 to 2002, the junior French championship was split in two leagues: under-17 and under-15 years. The under-15 team have reached the semifinals in 1992,^[84], 2001^[85] and 2002^[86] and the quarterfinals in 1994,^[87] 1997,^[88] 1998^[89] and 1999.^[90] While the under-17 team reached the quarterfinals in 1991,^[91] 1996,^[92] 2001^[93] and 2002.^[94] In 2002 the junior French championship was divided in three groups: under-18, under-16 and under-14 years. The under-18 team reached the quarterfinals in 2003^[95] and the under-16 also reached the semifinals in 2004.^[96] In the other hand, the under-14 team have only won their group in 2003, while finishing second on goal difference in 2004.

In 2006 David Bechkoura lead Paris Saint-Germain's under-18 team to the club's first under-18 league title.^[97]

[edit] PSG Ladies

Since 1971, the club has had a female section.^[98] The female section is chaired by Alain Gobert and the team is coached by Camille Vaz and Karine Noilhan. The 2009-10 season became its 19th season in Division 1 Féminine. PSG won the Division 2 in 2001^[99] and were vice-champion of the Division 2 in 1983^[100] and 1985.^[101] The capital club was also runner-up of the Challenge de France in 2008. The team's stadium is the Stade Georges Lefèvre of the Camp des Loges in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, with a capacity of 3,500 seats.

[edit] Photo gallery

PSG-Rapid Wien 1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final	Liverpool FC-PSG, 1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Semi-finals	PSG-Barcelona, 1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final	PSG-SM Caen, 2004
PSG-Bordeaux, 2006	PSG-AS Nancy, 2006	Parc des Princes's exterior

[edit] Bibliography

• Riolo Daniel, The History of Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Hugo sport, 23 November 2006, ISBN 2-7556-0115-9
• Albert Rodolphe, The Secrets of PSG, Paris, Éditions Privé, 1 June 2006, ISBN 2-35076-028-6
• Bouchard Jean-Philippe, The Thriller of PSG, from Canal+ to Canal-, Paris, Calman-Lévy, May 2000, ISBN 2-7021-3107-7
• Berthou Thierry, History of Paris Saint-Germain Football-Club (1904-1998), St-Maur, Pages de Foot, June 1998, ISBN 2-913146-00-7
• Dautrepuis Anne and Gilles Verdez, PSG, new secret histories (1995-1998), Paris, Solar, January 1998, ISBN 2-263-02653-3
• Basse Pierre-Louis, PSG, secret histories (1991-1995), Paris, Solar, September 1995, ISBN 2-263-02317-8
• Grimault Dominique and Fernandez Luis, The Parc of My Passions, Paris, Albin Michel, 1995; ISBN 2-226-07790-1
• Balédant Fabrice and Leiblanc Alain, Paris S.G. champion!, Luxembourg, RTL Éditions, 1986, ISBN 2-87951-157-7
• Le Goulven Francis and Ichah Robert, Paris SG 81/82, Paris, PAC, 1981 ISBN 2-85336-158-2
• Hechter Daniel, The football business, Paris, Ramsay, 3rd trimester 1979, ISBN 2-85956-118-8
• Chevit Frédéric and Rey Olivier, The roman truth of Paris SG, Paris, Fayard, 4th trimester 1977, ISBN 2-213-00520-6
• Programs of the club's matches
• PSG Supporters Club Fansite
• Newspapers « L'Équipe », « France Football » and « Le Parisien »

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paris Saint-Germain Football Club

Wikinews has related news: Paris Saint-Germain Football Club

Official Websites

• (French) (English) Official Club Website
• (Polish) Polish Fan Club
• (French) (English) New York City Fan Club
• (French) (English) London Fan Club
• (French) (English) Paris Saint-Germain F.C. at the Ligue 1 Official Website
• (French) (English) Paris Saint-Germain F.C. at the UEFA Official Website

News Sites

• (French) Paris Saint-Germain News from Le Parisien
• (French) Paris Saint-Germain News from L'Equipe
• (English) Paris Saint-Germain News from Sky Sports

Preceded by Real Zaragoza

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Winner 1996 Runner up: Rapid Vienna

Succeeded by Barcelona

v • d • e Paris Saint-Germain Football Club History · Players · Managers · Presidents · Supporters · Seasons · Europe · Honours · Current Season Other Teams Reserves & Academy · PSG Ladies Stadium Parc des Princes Training Ground Camp des Loges Rivalries Le Classique Organizations European Club Association · G-14 Related Articles Kop of Boulogne · Tournament of Paris · Le Parisien v • d • e Paris Saint-Germain F.C. – current squad 1 Coupet · 2 Ceará · 3 Sakho · 4 Makélélé · 6 Bourillon · 7 Giuly · 8 Luyindula · 9 Hoarau · 10 Sessegnon · 11 Erdinç · 12 Baning · 13 S. Traoré · 15 Camara · 16 Grondin · 17 N'Goyi · 18 Arnaud · 20 Chantôme · 21 Maurice · 22 Armand · 23 Clément · 24 Makonda · 26 Jallet · 27 Sankharé · 28 Partouche · 29 Boli ·  Barrada · 30 Edel · 33 Makhedjouf ·  Tambe · Manager: Kombouaré v • d • e Paris Saint-Germain F.C. – Managers Quenolle (1957–69) · Phelipon (1969–72) · Vicot (1972–73) · Fontaine & Vicot (1973–75) · Fontaine (1975–76) · Pantelić & Vasović (1976–77) · Alonzo (1977) · Larqué (1977–78) · Vasović (1978–79) · Choquier & Vasović (1979) · Alonzo (1979) · Peyroche (1979–83) · Leduc (1983–84) · Peyroche (1984–85) · Houllier (1985–87) · Houllier & Mombaerts (1987–88) · Mombaerts (1988) · Ivić (1988–90) · Michel (1990–91) · Jorge (1991–94) · Fernandez (1994–96) · Bats & Ricardo (1996–98) · Giresse (1998) · Jorge (1998–99) · Bergeroo (1999–2000) · Fernandez (2000–03) · Halilhodžić (2003–05) · Fournier (2005) · Lacombe (2005–07) · Le Guen (2007–09) · Kombouaré (2009-–)

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v • d • e 2009–10 in French football  « 2008–09 2010–11 »  Domestic leagues Ligue 1 · Ligue 2 · National · CFA (Group A, B, C, D) · CFA 2 (Group A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H) · D1 Féminine Domestic cups Coupe de France (Qualifying Rounds • Preliminary Round • 1st & 2nd Rounds • 3rd & 4th Rounds • 5th & 6th Rounds • Final) · Coupe de la Ligue (Final) · Trophée des Champions · Challenge de France (Final) European Champions League (Men · Women) · UEFA Europa League Other Summer 2009 transfers · Winter 2010 transfers Club seasons Ligue 1 Lyon · Marseille · Paris Saint-Germain · Rennes CFA Chamois Niortais D1 Féminine Paris Saint-Germain International competition Men 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification · 2011 UEFA European U-21 Championship qualification (Qual. G8) · European U-17 Championship (Qual. G7) Women UEFA Women's Euro 2009 · 2009 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship · 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup