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‪Paris Saint-Germain F.C.‬
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Full name:
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club

Nicknames:
• Les Rouge-et-Bleu (The Red and Blue) 
 Les Parisiens (The Parisians)

Founded:
12 August 1970

Ground:
Parc des Princes

Capacity:
48,712

Owner:
Qatar Sports Investments

President:
Nasser Al-Khelaifi

Manager:
Laurent Blanc

League:
Ligue 1

2013-14
1st position


Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, also known simply as Paris Saint-Germain and familiarly as Paris SG or PSG, is a professional association football club based in Paris, France. 

It was founded on 12 August 1970 following the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain. PSG has competed in Ligue 1 since 1974.

Les Rouge-et-Bleu have won the Ligue 1 title four times, the Ligue 2 once, the Coupe de France eight times, the Coupe de la Ligue four times, the Trophée des Champions three times, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once and the UEFA Intertoto Cup once.

PSG is the third most successful club in France and one of only two French clubs (with Olympique de Marseille) to win a major European club competition.

The Parc des Princes has been the home stadium of PSG since 1974.

The Camp des Loges has served as the club's training centre since 1970.

The Tournoi de Paris has been hosted by the capital club at the Parc des Princes since 1975.

The crest and shirt of Les Parisiens were mainly designed by Daniel Hechter.

The crest represents Paris through the Eiffel Tower and Saint-Germain-en-Laye through the fleur-de-lys between the legs of the tower.

The traditional shirt is blue with a red central vertical bar framed by white edgings.

Allez Paris Saint-Germain, to the tune of "Go West" by Pet Shop Boys, is the official anthem of PSG.

Germain the lynx is the club's mascot.

PSG shares an intense rivalry with Olympique de Marseille and contest the most notorious football match in France, known as Le Classique.

PSG is the second best-supported football club in France after arch-rivals Marseille.

"Ici c'est Paris" (This is Paris) is one of the club's most popular mottos. 

Qatar Sports Investments became the club's majority owner in 2011 and sole shareholder in 2012.

The takeover made PSG the richest club in France and one of the richest in the world.


HISTORY

Towards the end of the 1960s, an ambitious group of businessmen decided to create a major club in the French capital. 

They chose to merge their virtual side, Paris FC, with Stade Saint-Germain after the team from Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 15km west of Paris, won promotion to Ligue 2. 

The merger was ratified by the French Football Federation and the new outfit, Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, came into being in 1970.

PSG made an immediate impact both on and off the pitch, building a substantial fanbase and winning promotion in their first season. 

Their momentum was soon checked, however, and the club split in 1972, Paris FC remaining in the top-flight and PSG demoted to Division 3. 

Two seasons later PSG returned to Ligue 1, moving into the Parc des Princes in 1974.

The club's trophy cabinet welcomed its first major silverware in the shape of the Coupe de France in 1981–82 as PSG defeated Saint-Étienne on penalties in the final. 

Four years later coach Gérard Houllier led the team to their maiden league success, Safet Sušić pulling the strings in midfield.

An even brighter era then dawned when broadcasters Canal+ took over in 1991. 

Although just one more Ligue 1 crown was added in the following decade, PSG's crowning glory came with triumph in the 1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final, Bruno N'Gotty hitting the only goal as Rapid Vienna were defeated 1:0. 

A year later, Les Rouge-et-Bleu finished runners-up to Barcelona in the same competition.

Cup successes notwithstanding, the early 2000s were tough for PSG, who flirted with relegation on occasion as a combination of high expectations and intense media pressure took their toll.

It wasn't until the club was purchased by Qatar Sports Investments in 2011 that PSG finally restored a sense of balance.

The appointment of Carlo Ancelotti later that year and a flurry of big-money signings brought about the Ligue 1 title in 2012–13.


CREST
The first crest of Paris Saint-Germain (or Paris FC logo), surfaced in 1970 and was used during the following two seasons.

It consisted of a ball and a vessel, two powerful symbols of Paris.

Starting over in Division 3 after the split from Paris FC, PSG created its historical crest, known as the Eiffel Tower logo, in 1972.

It consisted of a red silhouette of the Eiffel Tower with the cradle of French King Louis XIV and the fleur de lys in white between its legs on a blue background with white edging.

The red of the Eiffel Tower and the blue of the background are the two colours of Paris, a reference to La Fayette and Jean Sylvain Bailly, two key figures of the French Revolution in 1789. 

The white is a hint to the coat of arms of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and it is also the color of royalty. 

The cradle and the fleur-de-lis recall that Louis XIV was born in Saint Germain-en-Laye in 1638. 

The colours of PSG are the traces of the union between Paris and Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

According to former PSG coach Robert Vicot, fashion designer Daniel Hechter introduced the Eiffel Tower in the crest before a certain Mr. Vallot had the ingenious idea of placing the birthplace of Louis XIV underneath the tower.

Former PSG major shareholder Canal+ was the first to try to replace the historical crest in 1994. 

The new model had the acronym 'PSG' and underneath it 'Paris Saint-Germain'. 

This caused the supporters' anger and the historical crest returned in 1995.

The historical crest received a makeover in 2013 under PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi's approval with a renovated and modern design.

PSG shareholder Qatar Sports Investments wanted to take full advantage of the city's global appeal and the new crest clearly brought to the fore the name 'PARIS' which is written in big bold letters. 

On top of that, the cradle which marked the birth of Louis XIV was discarded and in place the fleur-de-lis sits solely under the Eiffel Tower. 

Also, the founding year 1970 made way with 'Saint-Germain' taking its place at the bottom.

 

STADIUMS
Parc des Princes and Camp des Loges

The Stade Georges Lefèvre of the Camp des Loges was the main stadium of Paris Saint-Germain from 1970 to 1974. 

The Camp des Loges has been the training centre of PSG since its foundation in 1970.

Since 1974, it has also served as the home facility for the PSG Youth Academy, which train and play their home matches at the Stade Georges Lefèvre.

The Camp des Loges was renovated in 2008.

Officially opened on 4 June 1972, the Parc des Princes has a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators and also used to host concerts. 

Conceived by architect Roger Taillibert and built all in own piece from concrete, the Parc has been said to resemble a washbowl, with its capacity for resonating supporters' chants making it such an atmospheric venue. 

On particularly electric nights, it is even possible to feel the stadium ripple beneath your feet as thousands of fans jump up and down. 

The ground based in Porte de Saint-Cloud was also home to the France national football team until the Stade de France arrived on the scene.

PSG played their first match at the Parc des Princes against Red Star Paris on 10 November 1973.

PSG became the sole tenant of the Parc des Princes in July 1974. PSG shareholders Canal+ took control of the SESE, the company which holds the concession of the Parc des Princes, in 1992. 

The City of Paris extended the concession of the stadium for another 15 years in 1999. 

PSG completely took over the Parc des Princes and the capital club's headquarters were moved to a new edifice within the stadium in 2002.

PSG's highest average home attendance was registered during the 2013-14 season with 45,420 spectators per match. 

PSG's record home attendance is 49,407 spectators and was registered in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals match against Waterschei in 1983.

 

CLUB RIVALRIES 
Le Classique

Le Classique, also known as the Derby de France, is a football match contested between French top-flight clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique de Marseille. 

Unlike most derbies, Le Classique is not a product of close proximities - it involves the two largest cities in France. 

It features the hub of French society and style in Paris against the port city of the working class in Marseille. 

North-against-south and the kingpin of the southern provinces against the political center of the capital city adds the political dimension to this rivalry.

The duo are the only two French clubs to have won European trophies and were the dominant forces in the land prior to the emergence of Olympique Lyonnais at the start of the millennium. 

They still remain, along with Saint-Étienne, the only French clubs with a truly national fan base, adding to the appeal of the country's biggest fixture.

They are the two most popular clubs in France, and are also the most followed French clubs outside the country. 

Both teams are at or near the top of the attendance lists every year as well.

OM and PSG fans have tense relations, and various groups of Marseille and Parisian supporters have hated and battled each other. 

Important security measures are taken to prevent confrontations between the fans, but violent episodes still often occur when the duo meet.

Despite the hostilities, many players have worn the shirt of both clubs and have subsequently suffered abuses from the supporters.


Ownership and finances

Paris Saint-Germain was founded in 1970 thanks to the financial backing from local wealthy businessmen Guy CrescentPierre-Étienne Guyot and Henri Patrelle.

However, since its inception, PSG has experienced some periodic economic difficulties.

Indeed, despite a good debut during the 1970-71 season with a profit of 1.5 million francs, the trend reversed and the club's debt increased throughout the years.

PSG president Henri Patrelle, searching for financial support, made way for investor Daniel Hechter in 1973 and the club attained professional status.

Hechter was later banned for life from football by the French Football Federation following the scandal of double ticketing at the Parc des Princes in 1978. 

Francis Borelli replaced him.

However, Borelli's old-style management did not allow the club to properly handle the emergent football business during the 1980s and by the early 1990s PSG was in serious financial trouble with a debt of 50 million francs. 

For the first time, the Paris City Council, presided by the mayor of Paris, refused to wipe the slate clean.

French TV channel Canal+ gave reprieve to the ailing Paris Saint-Germain after purchasing it in 1991.

PSG received a whopping 40% of their income from televised games and became one of the richest clubs in France.

Canal+ became the club's majority shareholder in 1997 and sole shareholder in 2005.

Canal+ managed the club through delegated-president Michel Denisot during the 1990s. 

From 1991 to 1998, PSG maintained its finances healthy and the club's expenditures stood at €50m per season thanks to the rise of television rights and the increasing number of spectators at the Parc des Princes, as well as an excellent performance in national and European competitions. 

Following the departure of Michel Denisot in 1998, the club began to accumulate debts that reached €96m in 2002. 

The net debt fell to €8m in 2004 after recapitalising the club.

PSG's finances, however, remained red. 

Between 2004 and 2006, PSG was the only French club with a large deficit, registering losses of €30m. The club's turnover, however, increased from €69m to €80m.

Canal+ sold PSG to investment firms Colony Capital, Butler Capital Partners and Morgan Stanley for €41m in 2006.

The club's debt was wiped clean by Canal+.

Under its new owners, PSG's turnover reached the €100m and the losses gradually decreased over the years to only €5m in 2009.

Colony Capital purchased the majority of the shares of Butler Capital Partners in 2008, though they retained a 5% stake in PSG.

Colony Capital acquired all the shares of Morgan Stanley in 2009, becoming owners of 95% of the club, and then revealed in 2010 that they were looking for new investors to make PSG a true title contender for years to come.

In 2011, Qatar Sports Investments became the majority shareholder of PSG after buying a controlling 70% of the shares. Colony Capital (29%) and Butler Capital Partners (1%) remained minority shareholders.

QSI bought the club in a deal worth €50m, which covered an estimated €15-20m in debt and €19m in losses from the 2010-11 season.

Consequently, PSG became the richest club in France and one of the richest clubs in the world.

QSI later purchased the remaining 30% stake and became the sole shareholder of PSG in 2012.

The transaction valued the entire club 

 

Players

  • Kylian Mbappé