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PSG’s win at Liverpool proves the effectiveness of their new youth-driven approach
Sometimes, you can watch a game and feel like you’re witnessing something definitive, like the beginning or end of an era. At Anfield on Tuesday night, Paris Saint-Germain came of age; their penalty shootout victory over Liverpool could be the seminal moment where something truly special began.
Perhaps that is hyperbolic; one game will never define a team, but this was more a culmination of over 18 months work. PSG have been viewed extremely unfavourably in Europe for over a decade now; the financial power of their Qatari owners and perceived lack of authenticity defining them; for much of their reign, they have appeared to prioritise style over substance. Dominating Ligue 1, only failing to win it three times since the 2011 takeover, is taken for granted almost universally, and the Champions League has been seen as a true barometer of success.
Yet, through signing a number of ‘superstar’ players, a high turnover of coaches and failing to harbour a strong, cohesive long-term vision, they’ve never truly been close to achieving their ultimate goal. They reached the final at the height of Covid in 2020, but were well beaten by Bayern Munich.
While bringing in the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi boosted revenue streams and social media clout, the impact on the pitch often felt like an afterthought. Bringing together the best individuals and simply expecting a great team has a history of failure; it took far too long for PSG to grasp that. Most frustratingly, while they were assembling over-saturated, imbalanced squads, they were ignoring arguably the greatest patch for emerging talent in the world on their doorstep. The number of players who have emerged from the streets and back yards of Paris is incredible, but other clubs were benefitting.
When Neymar and Messi departed at the beginning of last season, it was a line in the sand. PSG had realised the error of their ways, but a true change of course would take time. Luis Enrique was a shrewd appointment as coach; most importantly he’d won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015, and he had developed a strong playing philosophy at an elite level. Crucially, he wasn’t going to be judged immediately and was given a mandate to change the culture and implement a different direction on the pitch, tapping into that hotbed of talent from surrounding areas, France generally, and abroad.
Kylian Mbappe, of Bondy, a Parisian suburb, was something of a bridge between the two eras. He was the best example of that talent pool, but also the sort of player who embodied the flashy nature of what came before. His future was under constant scrutiny, with Real Madrid known to be his dream destination. Mbappe scored 46 goals in all competitions last season and, such was the reliance on him, there were fears when he eventually left for the Santiago Bernabeu.
Yet, as can often happen, it proved to be an opportunity for other players to step up and share responsibility. Warren Zaire-Emery is one of their brightest academy prospects in years, and he’s been added to by a wave of future-focussed recruitment. Perhaps nobody has benefited from Mbappe’s exit more than Bradley Barcola, who signed from Lyon in 2023 but has taken a starring role this season with 18 goals in all competitions from the left wing. Ousmane Dembele has done the same, shouldering a more senior role after years of injuries and questions over his attitude hampering his career.
That environment has allowed players like Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves from Benfica and Willian Pacho, an Ecuadorian defender who impressed at Eintracht Frankfurt last season, to thrive after joining in the summer. Desire Doue, who joined from Rennes, is destined for greatness too.
If the Mbappe-shaped hole was still causing problems, the signing of Kvicha Kvaratskhelia in January was a stroke of genius: a ‘big game’ talismanic figure without the celebrity status of Neymar, Messi and Mbappe. With five goal involvements in 13 matches so far, it has been a promising start after his move from Napoli.
But it isn’t about individual signings or moments anymore, and therein lies the point. PSG are finally a club with a structured vision and an identity which puts football at the forefront, as opposed to business or a perception of a champagne existence.
Their win at Liverpool showed grit and determination, but also an ability to face adversity. Defeat in the first leg felt unjust, and up against the test of a European night at Anfield, which many have failed to surpass, they had to roll their sleeves up.
That is what ‘this’ PSG is all about, and they’ve shown themselves to be no longer be pretenders, but genuine European contenders.
