Paris Saint Germain are a team that have risen from the depths of mediocrity within the French league to become a consistent powerhouse that wins domestic titles year after year.
If you asked followers of soccer who were old enough to see the likes of Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazario in their primes, they will tell you that the French side wasn’t regarded as one of the world’s elite soccer teams.
So, what changed?
This article seeks to pinpoint exactly why Paris Saint Germain are almost always able to win matches, by investigating the factors that have led to their dominance over the last decade.
Let’s get started with a brief summary.
Paris Saint Germain almost always emerge victorious in soccer games because of their superiosity when it comes to the talent of their roster – as it features some of the world’s top players in Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. Additionally, the high level of coaching also gives them a slight advantage over other teams.
Does that make sense?
The article will now look at each of the aforementioned points in turn.
Reasons why PSG is usually the best team
It wasn’t too long ago when Olympique Lyon used to have the edge over the rest of the teams in France’s top division.
From the 2001/2002 campaign all the way to the 2007/2008 season, Olympique Lyon won league title after league title.
They were at the peak of their powers and it was an amazing feat for them to win their first Ligue 1 championship in 2002, followed by seven consecutive years of trophy laden seasons.
So, that brings us to the question of how Paris Saint Germain came to the forefront of France’s national game.
Here are a few factors that paint a picture.
1. Superior playing talent
When Paris Saint Germain was acquired by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011, their ability to sign the world’s best players rose almost exponentially.
They started to attract serious talent, and it wasn’t long until a generational player called Neymar was convinced of the sporting project that they had going on.
Neymar was bought by Paris Saint Germain from Barcelona for a staggering 222 million euros, which is still the highest ever transfer fee that a soccer tram has paid for a player in the history of the sport.
His silky skills and composure on the ball have elevated Paris Saint Germain’s overall play over the years.
More so, his considerable talent draws opposition defenders towards him, which frees up his team mates.
And even before Neymar signed for the Parisian giants, the club has been able to attract several other world class players who have helped the team win numerous Ligue 1 titles.
Some of these names include the likes of:
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic;
- Edinson Cavani;
- Thiago Silva;
- Marco Verrattt;
- Angel Di Maria; and
- Thiago Motta
Now you see why they’ve been virtually unstoppable in the league for many a season?
The quality of players that the team has had over several campaigns has been able to get them over the finish line, because talented individuals put in consistently great performances week in and week out.
And just when you think the talent stops there, it doesn’t!
Paris Saint Germain also have Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi on their roster, with the latter widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.
If you weren’t convinced why Paris Saint Germain win all the time, then now you should be.
The interplay between Mbappé, Messi and Neymar is a joy to watch.
Have a look at one of the breath taking performances they’ve showcased in Ligue 1:
2. Expert coaching
Just think about this for a second.
Paris Saint Germain have managed to win a total of 10 Ligue 1 championships, with eight of those coming within the last decade.
That’s simply unbelievable, right?
Well, it’s true.
The quality of coaching the players receive has certainly played a part in their success as well.
When you have serial winners like Carlo Ancelotti giving you guidance out on the training field and managing those big egos within the dressing room, victory becomes much more likely.
You also have to look at the stellar job performed by managers such as Thomas Tuchel, Unai emery and Laurent Blanc, who all have a Ligue 1 championship title to their name.
Squad building definitely has a role to play in the overall success of a club, with the best example being that of former manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United team.
They won multiple Premier League titles and a couple of UEFA Champions League trophies during his 26 seasons at the club.
3. Weaker opposition
You may have heard Ligue 1 being referred to as a “farmer’s league” at one point in time.
The division gets this reputation due to the fact that it lacks a group of regular title challengers, which you’ll usually see in other European countries like the England and Spain.
For example, the English Premier League’s traditional top four has transformed into a big six consisting of:
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Arsenal
- Chelsea
- Liverpool; and
- Tottenham Hotspur
By contrast, France’s top tier just has AS Monaco and Olympique Lyon as usual challengers, and even so they tend to scrap for 4th place much more often than not.
With Paris Saint Germain facing off against weaker opponents, they have an advantage and are able to win more games as a result.
Who is PSG’s biggest rival?
This has to be none other than Olympique de Marseille.
Le Classique (i.e. the name of the derby match between the two sides) is usually fiercely contested.
Being the two most successful clubs in French soccer, the players representing the respective teams battle it out on the pitch by giving it their all when it comes to every tackle, pass, sprint, interception and shot attempt.
When it comes to the head-to-head record between these sides, Paris Saint Germain have the advantage, as you can see from some of the statistics below:
Official matches: 94
Total wins: Paris Saint-Germain (40) vs OM (32)
Total goals: Paris Saint-Germain (132) vs OM (115)
Largest victory: Paris Saint-Germain 5 v OM 1 (1977-78, 2016-17)
Source – PSG official website
Closing thoughts
Having read all of this, you’ll now be fully aware of why Paris Saint Germain win all the time.
The combination of having the best playing talent and coaching, in addition to facing relatively weaker opposition in their league means this state-backed team wins the vast majority of its league games.
With a solid educational background in business management, the Soccer Whizz website is his first foray into the digital web space and it has been created with the intention of providing the absolute best soccer content for its readership.
Have a read through Samuel Waihenya's author bio page here.
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