Champions League final: How Luis Enrique’s Paris St-Germain have been transformed
In 2011, PSG were a paradox: a major European capital with a large talent pool, but a club lacking structure, prestige and stability.
They had no stars, no sustainable models and no clear football philosophy.
Despite having big names like Ronaldinho, Pauleta, Ludovic Giuly and Claude Makelele in the first decade of the 21st century, PSG had to be seen as relevant and credible in the eyes of the football world to even dream of competing with Europe’s elite.
Ultras were banned after violence resulted in the death of a supporter and left the Parc des Princes without its most passionate supporters for the first five years of the new term. But they returned in 2016 when Al-Khelaifi ruled that the majority could not be held responsible for the actions of a few people.
QSI’s early years were defined by aggressive spending. Critics described it as the ‘glamorous era’ but within the company it was seen as the fastest way to the top.
As with Newcastle and Manchester City, PSG have been forced to answer questions about the source of their funds and their owners have been accused of ‘sportwashing’, meaning nations invest in sport to help clean up tarnished reputations.
Signing contracts with global stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi has helped PSG enter the global conversation.
This phase brought domestic dominance and deep Champions League runs. But it also led to internal tensions. The stars determined the locker room dynamics, influenced tactical decisions and sometimes overshadowed the team with pointless arguments over training schedules and even who should take penalties.
18-year-old Mbappe and his family told club representatives that he could join PSG instead of Real Madrid only if he was guaranteed to play in every match. Neymar also wrote in his contract that he has the authority to decide not to attend some matches.
When basketball legend Kobe Bryant visited the old training ground, Neymar and Mbappe wanted to leave the program prepared by then-head coach Unai Emery.
He let them rest. They wanted to train with an enthusiasm that was sometimes lacking to impress Kobe. Emery won this war, but the conflict left its mark.
This period established PSG’s global brand but also revealed the limitations of a star-centric model.
