“Les Miserables” is nothing against it. Paris Saint-Germain suffered yet another disappointment in the Champions League last night. Ten years after the takeover from Qatar – and more than a billion euros in transfers – PSG had to deal with just as many painful exits. An overview of all the misery.
2012-2013: Died against “Dream Team”
PSG shows itself to Europe as a new football power. In the Champions League, it impresses in the group stage thanks to stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham and veteran coach Carlo Ancelotti. In the 1/8th finals, Valencia is also set aside.
FC Barcelona’s “Dream Team” awaits in the quarterfinals. The first leg in Paris ends after a hard-fought match at 2-2.
In Camp Nou, an opening goal by Pastore makes the Parisians dream. Yet Pedro’s equalizer is deadly. Chairman Nasser El-Khelaïfi swears under his breath, but is sure that his time will come soon.
2013-2014: Anticlimax in London
In 2014 PSG – reinforced with Edinson Cavani and Marquinhos – will once again be in the quarterfinals. The opponent is now Eden Hazard’s Chelsea. Despite a penalty goal from the Red Devil in the first leg, PSG is too strong with 3-1.
They are already dreaming of the semifinals under the Eiffel Tower. Only the return becomes a huge anticlimax. In minute 87, Demba Ba scores the fatal 2-0.
2014-2015: Crushed by MSN
It is no coincidence that PSG snatched David Luiz, Chelsea’s strongman, from London a few months later. Only the Brazilian in the quarterfinals is no match for the attack trio MSN from Barcelona.
PSG is subject to the law of the strongest and suffers a 1-3 defeat in the first leg. In Spain, there is no match for Neymar, who provides both goals in the 2-0 win for Barca.
Nasser El-Khelaïfi remembers the name of the dribbling miracle.
2015-2016: De Bruyne turns off the switch
A new season, a new quarter-final in the Champions League. Assignment Angel Di Maria, together with Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, forms a deadly trident at PSG.
Only PSG will not find the way to goal during a visit to Mancester City. The Citizens win the first leg by the smallest difference. In the city of lights, Kevin De Bruyne quickly turns off the switch by scoring the opening goal.
The home team is still fighting to a 2-2, but that is not enough.
2016-2017: On the bad side of football history
Paris is in a daze of euphoria. In 2017, PSG finally seems to be on track to win the championship ball. In the Parc des Princes, Barcelona is faced with a 4-0 penalty.
The trip to Spain should be the afterparty. Only the French champion is left with a huge hangover. Barça perform one of the greatest miracles in football history – known to everyone as the “Remontada” – by turning the situation around completely.
Neymar is the great driving force behind the comeback. It is on his hand that Sergi Roberto scores 6-1 in the 95th minute.
“That damn Neymar again,” swears Nasser El-Khelaïfi.
2017-2018: Ronaldo knocks out Neymar and Mbappe
The Qatareese’s solution? In the summer of 2017, a record sum of 222 million paid for Neymar. The portfolio is also being opened up considerably for Kylian Mbappé. With the two goldcrests, it must finally happen for PSG in the Champions League.
Yet the draw (and Cristiano Ronaldo) decides otherwise. In the 1/8th final, the Parisians will already meet top favorite Real Madrid. The Portuguese star leads the Royal to a 3-1 win in the first leg. The Spaniards also triumph in the return.
2018-2019: Disillusionment and anger against United
Try seven then.
In 2019 PSG will face a faded glory in the 1/8th final: Manchester United. The first leg seems to confirm the new relationships in world football: PSG win easily with 0-2.
But in Paris the unthinkable happens. United enter the final phase with a 1-2 lead thanks to two goals from Romelu Lukaku. And deep into injury time, the VAR gives a penalty after Kimpembe’s questionable hand game.
Rashford converts it and knocks PSG out of the Champions League again. They are furious with the Parisians. The injured Neymar first: he tries to storm the arbitration locker room and taunts them on social media afterwards.
2019-2020: Lost in sight of meet
PSG never came closer to the holy grail. In 2020 it will finally reach the final of the Champions League by counting out Dortmund, Atalanta and Leipzig, among others. A more difficult opponent awaits in the final: Bayern Munich.
In an even final, Kingsley Coman scores the only goal for the Germans. At PSG they are inconsolable after yet another deception.
2020-2021: The Bad Boys of Paris
The stars of PSG are processing the disappointment and are looking for rehabilitation. In 2021, the Parisians will make a good impression in the Champions League and they will advance to the semi-finals. That’s where Manchester City awaits.
In both games they lose their “cool” at PSG and show their worst side after falling behind. The national champion receives a total of two red cards, but that could have been more.
Di Maria kicked Fernandinho out of frustration. A few minutes later Kimpembe pulled out the machete. And in front of the TV cameras, Ander Herrera again verbally kicked the referee towards the arbitration.
PSG’s bad reputation is gradually growing as the worst losers of European top football.
2021-2022: Tenth disappointment
Who oh who can finally make PSG winners? When Lionel Messi has to leave Barcelona unexpectedly, they smell their chance in Paris.
Neymar, Mbappe and Messi. As beautiful as it sounds on paper, it is so difficult the first few months. The divine trio is looking for automatisms and cannot beat Club Brugge in the group stage, among other things.
Nevertheless, PSG is doing very well in the first leg of the 1/8th final against Real Madrid. Thanks to an unstoppable Kylian Mbappe, it won 1-0. He also dissolves his devils in Bernabéu for an hour and scores the opening goal.
Only it turns out to be another fiasco for PSG. Karim Benzema is now the big bogeyman with a hat-trick in 18 minutes.
The umpteenth sequel of “Les Misérables”. In Paris they are gradually becoming despondent.
