The logo of Paris FC is seen prior to the French Ligue 2 match against Amiens at Stade Charley in Paris on Jan 11. — AFP
FOR the first time in 35 years, two Paris-based football clubs will be playing in France’s top division.
Paris FC, who were recently bought by France’s richest family, secured promotion to the top flight and will join Qatar-funded Paris St Germain next season in the elite as the City of Light’s football scene undergoes a major facelift.
Paris FC’s promotion to Ligue 1 puts an end to the French anomaly of having only one major football team in the capital. The Star Sportlight take a look at the reasons behind the lack of top clubs in Paris.
When fans visit some European cities, they are spoiled for choice about which match to watch. While there are seven London clubs in the Premier League this season, there is only one top side in Paris: PSG.
It’s a rarity in European football, where big cities such as Madrid, Rome, Barcelona, Milan, and even Manchester and Lisbon, generally have two high-level clubs.
Paris FC supporters during the match against Lorient on March 8. — AFP
“There’s a paradox. We have a very popular sport that produces great players but for the moment has not produced great clubs in Paris,” said sports history researcher Paul Dietschy.
“The Seine Saint-Denis area (north of Paris) is one of the main scouting grounds for Europe’s top clubs. And at the same time, Paris has never produced clubs with the same long-lasting impact as those in major European cities such as Madrid, London, Barcelona or Manchester.”
It is not the first time an ambitious billionaire has invested in a Paris club.
Before the Arnault family, the late French media baron Jean-Luc Lagardere tried to revive the fortunes of Paris’ former greatest team, Racing Club.
In the 1980s, Lagardere launched Matra Racing, signing big players such as Uruguay star Enzo Francescoli, Germany’s dribbling ace Pierre Littbarski, France midfielder Luis Fernandez and spectacular goalkeeper Pascal Olmeta in an attempt to compete with PSG.
It threatened to work, but in the end Matra struggled to draw fans, did not achieve significant results and Lagardere opted out of the ill-fated adventure after just a few years.
Many Paris teams alive at the start of the 20th century have gradually sunk from view.
Red Star, who have returned to the second division, still enjoy a strong working-class fan base, but their chaotic functioning and lack of stability have kept the club in the shadows over the last 50 years.
Paris FC’s Mohamed Toure and Jules Gaudin celebrate after the French Ligue 2 match against Grenoble.
The lack of top-level clubs in Paris and across the country can find its roots in the complex relationship between France and football.
First of all, French football had a slow start. While the English FA Cup was first played in 1871, football did not become France’s No. 1 sport until the 1930s-40s. Cycling previously captivated audiences thanks to the Tour de France.
In a championship that traditionally struggles to attract star names, lacks significant financial clout and lags behind in salaries, PSG have won 11 Ligue 1 titles in 13 seasons since Qatari backer QSI took over the club. Monaco won in 2017 with a young Kylian Mbappe and Lille did so against the odds in 2021.
That makes Ligue 1 easier to invest in for outsiders. The talent is already there.
France’s exceptional football academies are arguably the world’s best along with Brazil and Spain, producing a veritable production line of talent, such as 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema (Lyon) and Mbappe.
So French football’s richness remains more anchored in its grass roots than its results. Only Marseille have won the Champions League, way back in 1993, and a handful of finals have been graced by PSG, Monaco and, decades ago, Reims.
Although French football is well-established with more than two million people affiliated to clubs, interest in Ligue 1 remains fickle and league officials struggle to sell their TV rights. France is not like England, where the passion for football clubs is fierce and pervades every class of society.
Even though Les Bleus have won four major trophies and finished runner-up at three others, this has not produced a lasting effect at home. With the few exceptions of teams like Marseille, St Etienne, Strasbourg or Lens, who have faithful supporters, the interest for club football remains mediocre.
Interest in the French league did spike considerably during the ‘80s-’90s, however, when Marseille played with verve and style. Stars like Rudi Voeller, Chris Waddle, Rai and George Weah joined a league where the rivalry between Marseille and newly confident PSG was relentlessly promoted by the clubs’ owners: Bernard Tapie at Marseille and pay TV channel Canal Plus at PSG.
Then came the Bosman ruling in 1995, which hurt French clubs badly.
The end of restrictions on the number of foreign players in clubs led to a mass exodus of French talent to more prestigious and – crucially – higher-paying leagues. It took until the past decade for a French club to re-emerge with major spending power: PSG.
Created in 1969, Paris FC’s men’s team have yet to achieve any significant success.
The Arnault family, owners of the LVMH luxury empire, plan to draw on Juergen Klopp’s expertise as part of an ambitious project to transform Paris FC into a force in French football.
The family’s takeover has energy drink giant Red Bull on board as a minority stakeholder. Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, has joined Red Bull as head of global football.
Arnault has described the project as a long-term effort to elevate Paris FC’s men’s and women’s teams to top-tier success. — AP
