Nicolas Anelka has won two UEFA Champions League titles and he’s played for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, so he’s uniquely qualified to talk about the club’s issues in the most prestigious cup competition in Europe.
PSG’s failures in the Champions League are well documented. Their loss to FC Barcelona in 2017 was so bad that it was given a nickname that is now in the French dictionary. Last season’s unconscionable defeat to Manchester United in the Round of 16 was so bad that Neymar Jr. pushed for a return to Barcelona.
Don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy to be a PSG supporter.
During a recent fan interview on Instagram (via Goal), Anelka commented on PSG’s squad and how he believes them being champions of France isn’t good enough as they chase European glory.
“PSG today is a great team. With the players they have, they are good enough to win the Champions League. They will end up doing it.”
“The only problem is the weak competition that exists in Ligue 1. To be the champion of France is good, but to progress on a European scale, they need difficult matches regularly.”
“I hope that Marseille will soon be bought by a wealthy Gulf businessman so that they have real adversity in Ligue 1.”
This isn’t a new thought and there is some merit to it. However, against Borussia Dortmund last March, we saw PSG rise up and defeat a very talented team after falling 2-1 in the first leg.
Elite competition makes players and teams better so I welcome new owners to Ligue 1 to help raise the level of play. Unfortunately, the coronavirus may put those plans on hold, and in fact, teams may be forced to sell their best players to help balance the books since Ligue 1 decided to cancel the season prematurely.
Currently, PSG players are waiting to return to training later this month and in August, they’ll resume the quarter-finals of the Champions League where they’re still waiting to learn who their opponent will be.
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