I’m a fan of Paris Saint-Germain and the founder of PSG Talk so I might be a little biased, but the past couple of weeks have proved once again that French champions are the most entertaining team in world football.
I make this statement with the UEFA Champions League final this weekend and PSG nowhere to be found–they bowed out back in March if you remember. Leading up to the final though, Les Parisiens have dominated the headlines. Let’s recap shall we?
- Thomas Tuchel was officially named as the new manager of PSG on May 14 and unveiled on May 20.
- On May 17, it was reported that Gianluigi Buffon is seriously considering joining PSG from Juventus FC.
- PSG opened a new office in New York City with the aim to develop their brand in America on May 21.
- Outgoing manager Unai Emery was all but officially named as the next manager of Arsenal FC on May 22.
- On May 22, it was reported that Adrien Rabiot is apparently unhappy with the French Football Federation’s decision to leave him out of the FIFA World Cup Squad and he refuses to be a reserve.
The season has only just ended and PSG is wasting no time in addressing the issues that kept them from advancing past Real Madrid in the Champions League. With the World Cup less than a month away, identifying key targets and securing their services is of the utmost importance. Wait until after the tournament and the price of players could be inflated or another team could steal your manager of choice (you don’t think Arsenal would rather have Tuchel than Emery?).
Obviously, the excitement I would rather have is a Champions League final to look forward to but not everyone can get lucky enough to play FC Porto in the Round of 16 and AS Roma in the semi-finals (looking at you Liverpool FC). I’ll take what I can get and right now, PSG is absolutely dominating the headlines. I didn’t expect another blockbuster transfer window like last summer where Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappé joined due to pending Financial Fair Play restrictions, but the ability to still move the needle shows you how influential this club has become over the past few years. Granted most of the coverage is negative because of reasons we’ve discussed at length, but regardless, when it comes to making money moves, PSG is the Cardi B of the footballing world.
Diving a little deeper into some of the headlines, a few thoughts: Tuchel and Buffon will bring a certain level of class and respectability to the Parc des Princes. One player doing his best to maintain the required amount of drama in the locker room though is Rabiot. It’s not clear if he did write to the FFF to complain about his reserve status with the national team (or if it was his manager/mom) but in my opinion, this is a good thing for PSG. Rabiot won’t be at the World Cup, thus he will be fresh for the upcoming season. Anyone who watched the last few months of the season will tell you that the Frenchman looked tired and disinterested. Maybe this snub will spark something within him and catapult him to greatness. I also have no issue with his swagger. Rabiot starts in the midfield for France’s biggest club and the FFF couldn’t find a place for him? It’s a waste of his time to be a reserve. France has a plethora of players to choose from so it’s not like they are desperate for his services with the reserves. And when Rabiot elevates his game (he’s too good to continue his current poor form), I guarantee France will come calling regardless of what he does now.
Paris supporters may be in for a bit of a lull period until after the World Cup but the future looks bright following a whirlwind of breaking news. Be sure to check back here often and follow us on social media for the latest PSG news and opinion.
Subscribe to our podcast (iTunes) (Google Play) (Stitcher) (Spotify) and follow us on Twitter @PSGTalk