PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN: Now with More than one Player!

By: Sam | July 28th, 2007

As the start of the season looms, it’s time for the France Offside to give you an in-depth look at each of the 20 teams vying for Hexagoal. Today, we meet Paris Saint-Germain, the team formerly known as Pauleta Saint-Germain.

The team: Up until just a few days ago, many an Internet article was dedicated to the lack of bureaucratic activity on PSG’s part. They’ve gotten busier since, but still, not that much. So far they’ve welcomed the promising Didier Digard from Le Havre (Ligue 2), Grégory Bourillon from Rennes as well as Zoumana Camara from St-Etienne. Leaving the club are Edouard Cissé, Bonaventure Kalou, David Rozenhal and David Hellebuyck. Suffice to say there won’t be many Paris fans crying about them.

One area in which PSG are right comfortable is the keeper position, where they boast the services of Mickael Landreau, French international and expert penalty stopper. Paris’ backline is also experienced and trustworthy. When you’ve got names like Sylvain Armand, Zoumana Camara, Bernard Mendy, Sammy Traoré and Mario Yepes, you know you’re more or less set. Boukary Dramé and Greg Bourillon are very able options as well. The midfield doesn’t have the same power as the defense. There’s of course Jérome Rothen and Marcello Gallardo, a pair of well-traveled internationals as you should know. There’s the curiously irregular Cristian Rodriguez that fast became a fan favourite, the high-potential but not very productive Clément Chantome and Jérémy Clément as well, without forgetting the new acquisition Digard. Now, who doesn’t immediately think of Pauleta when someone mentions PSG? Not me, that’s for sure. He’s still there, aging but dangerous all the same. Alongside him are Péguy Luyindula, explosive in the preseason, Amara Diané, one of the pleasant surprises of last year’s campaign, and Pierre-Alain Frau, who just didn’t have a good season last year.

That’s a good squad. Less big names than last year, but those big names were even bigger underachievers.

The coach: A PSG player for seven years, Paul Le Guen took over as coach in January, you’ll rememer, during PSG’s crisis involving Guy Lacombe. Still struggling, he finally managed to pilot his boys to a good stretch at the end of the season, insuring they wouldn’t be relegated. An unpredictable yet very intelligent character, Le Guen won three titles with Lyon (2003-5) and all in all is one of the most respected coaches in the league.

The stadium: Simple but formidable, le Parc des Princes in ~~Saint-Germain-en-Laye~~ the country’s capital is the second-biggest stadium in the league. 47,000 fans pack it each game, and as much as there are unfortunate incidents with the xenophobic scum that is Kop of Boulogne, PSG’s fanbase is mostly loud and raucous in a good way.

The final say: Needless to say, they aren’t the luckiest of clubs, but they will do better this year. Sixth or seventh is perfectly doable.

Also, be sure to check out Come’s picture-happy PSG Offside with news and match reports, one of the many members of our happy Ligue 1 Offside family.