Imagine winning a sole CL with an * next to it.
Champions League Knockouts (12 Aug - 23rd Aug)
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
I don't fancy PSG against Bayern, but then it is just one game. Anything could happen.
Anyways, lets wait for Lyon.
Verratti is brilliant and massively underrated. One of those in the mould of Carrick, Busquets, Thiago etc who seem to never lose the ball.
Who would you drop? Rather not Ander, as he deserves to start a CL final. Love him.
It doesn't matter, whether it's this season or in normal circumstances, people will always put an asterisk on the teams they don't like, or how they've come to become CL champions. It's really just noise from the outside, no one will care one bit in Paris/Lyon if it turns out their way and it'll be a huge accomplishment regardless of what the usual noise from outside will be. As far as I'm concerned, everybody went through similar circumstances, and PSG/Lyon were at a disadvantage compared to other teams who could at least get themselves in rhythm and match fitness.
Nothing wrong with it, huge accomplishment for their club if we are being honest
It's just something that can look very silly if you lose the final.
I'd drop Paredes. Even if he had a good game tonight, what he brings is insufficient to me. You could drop Marquinho on paper or play him as a right back but Tuchel won't do that, he loves the intensity he brings as a n°6.
That’s fair
True but it’s PSG first ever CL final. So it’s definetly something worth celebrating about.
There should be no asterisk when you still have to compete with the same top teams on an even playing field, even if in a different format.
what the actual feck?
First ever CL final. A team trolled for years and years for spending money and not getting anywhere. Mocked as farmer's league and all. Seems fair they are having a ball
It is so refreshing to see an intellectually informed summary on the commercial perils of modern day football. To put it bluntly, all clubs have blood on their hands, some much more than others.
There's no team I can think of in recent history that's had so much pressure and embarrassment on the world stage in the competition, they deserve to celebrate getting to the final, just gotta finish the job now. I can't even understand the kind of pressure and relief they must have gone through since the last 5 minutes of the Atalanta game.
PSG can win several, with an asterisk, a spoon, a dragon and a rubber tyre next to them.
If Qatar is up for it, the next years are theirs.
How about Barca in the last years or even City?
Not a fan of Bayern at all, but hope they smash PSG in the final they same way they did Barca.
Not quite the same, although they're under tremendous pressure now more than ever, but PSG is a team built to win the CL and they've consistently bottled it. It must be a frustrating club to play in because if you win the league, you're supposed to and if you lose, you're an embarrassment, so it's all about the CL for them, fair or not. Barcelona have at least had successes in the last decade in the competition, including winning the whole thing as opposed to PSG.
City is definitely in that camp though, and Barcelona's 8-2 defeat to Bayern has raised the pressure even more, I don't think it'd be that high if they went out on a respectable score, but they got completely exposed and don't have a Liga title to make it any better.
At the same time, if PSG had crashed out in the quarters again, that'd have made the international football headlines for about a week maximum.
I guarantee you, the aftermath of that Barca loss against Bayern alone, the "what will Messi do now" stuff and the whole blame game around the Barca board and staff, will be in the press all summer. Idk about the press in France, but after Barca infamously turned the tie around against PSG, I don't think the international press really even focused on PSG much. It was almost all about incredible Barca. Switch the 2 teams, and the stories would've still been mostly about Barca and about how the mighty have fallen.
Barca are just an example here. But while I do think that the French media is probably talking a lot about how PSG have not managed to go all the way yet, internationally speaking I don't think there's that much pressure on them. It feels more like a situation of "lets have a quick laugh about them always crashing out, but the inevitable will eventually happen one of these seasons, anyway."
So nationally I can totally see them being under huge pressure. But on an international scale, I doubt there are that many that really care, and I think there are teams that are under more pressure. PSG getting to the final was always bound to happen one day with all the money they have.
Barcelona now had to deal with the aftermath of a historical thrashing. They have the point to prove as a big club as always, but nothing of ordinary from their normal expectation.
The point regarding PSG is about all these past years since their Galaticos project started. It's similar to how Real went a period between their last victory to finally won it again. They reach a low point where they couldn't make a semi final until Mourinho years. Until you break the psyche, you're the one building pressure to defeat yourself.
Not many French clubs reach CL & Europa League final. Chelsea got 2 finals, and won 1 when the odd was against them. It shouldn't thing to be taken for granted.
You never know when the new kid entering the block. The world may turn a new chapter and Qatar may have to focus on other thing than PSG, just like Abramovich with change to oil market.
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Nah.
It was always a big topic that led into transfer rumors, PSG's failures, Neymar and where does he go? Mbappe, etc. Maybe it's your own perspective but it's definitely not the reality I've seen even from here in the US and Europe's media. PSG is one of the most talked about clubs for some time now in the champion's league, especially since Neymar/Mbappe and the continuous trend of crashing out by the quarter finals or the most expensive transfer in history always being hurt in the games that mattered. We have players that clubs want and media fabricate rumors about every day to get clicks, another embarrassment would have kept the writers busy for quite some time.
There hasn't been a team under more pressure in a long time in the champion's league, it's not even remotely close with Barcelona, but City is getting to that level now.
This says it all. The difference of mentality between PSG and Bayern Munich, the French and Germans. While after thrashing Barca 8-2, they still remain very grounded and focused. I can understand since it's probably first ever final but you would have thought they would tone down the celebrations since this will look stupid on them if they don't win the final and no one remembers a runner-up. Still fantastic achievement. I don't think they can beat Bayern though. There's a reason why the bookmakers have priced Bayern at 1/2 after they thrash Barca. Bayern is overwhelming favourites to win the CL after their quarter-final.
Biggest problem for PSG is not Paredes or Herrera, or whoever, the biggest problem is Sergio Rico in goal. He hasn't been tested so far. But a year ago he was playing for Fulham and looking shit, now he faces a firing squad in the CL final.
Good luck Sergio, don't wet your pants!
That was forensic in all ways possible. Might keep that link next time I need to have this talk with someone.
About tonights game, I'm torn. I obviously want Lyon to win, but I'm certain they will lose against PSG. And if there is one thing that would make drop watching football is seeing the state owned club model winning the biggest trophy a club can win.
Everybody talking of Bayern trashing PSG in the final when we haven't even played the semi 
A lot can happen in a one off match like today, and Lyon have proven to be at least competent. Obviously i believe we'll advance, but talk of the final is premature.
A lot can happen in a one off match like today, and Lyon have proven to be at least competent. Obviously i believe we'll advance, but talk of the final is premature.
Navas could be back for the finale according to recent reports.
Maybe my opinion about this just isn’t objective but I don’t believe this at all. PSG aren’t that big a club and don't get as much interest from European press across the continent as Barca, Real, United, Liverpool, City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Juve, Inter do. That's not to say that all of these clubs are under more pressure. But imo the two countries where PSG get by far the most attention are France, for obvious reasons, and in fact the United States, because their brand and marketing has somehow really kicked on there. PSG's marketing and brand are great in the sense that lots and lots of people globally buy their merchandise because it's deemed fashionable.
But the footballing pedigree just isn't there yet. Compare them to Bayern who have been one of the top teams on the continent for a decade now and are always there or thereabout. They've won only a single Champions League title in the meantime though. Their players too are desperate for a CL title and might feel the internal pressure rising, as the CL title is probably what they were hoping to get with their moves to Bayern and what the club wants from them. But even Bayern, having got close to glory numerous times in the past decade, just isn't of much interest to Europe's footballing media at the moment. They especially aren't when you compare them to the big clubs from Spain and England. The following for the Bundesliga isn't as big as it could be based on full stadiums, authentic clubs, great fan culture, low ticket prices, high scoring games. Just like the international following for Ligue 1 just isn't there.
What do you think why only now everybody is remembering Neymar's level of performances again, having almost forgotten about "the next big thing in football" really, because people haven't been watching him? I suspect he's been doing stuff like this in Ligue 1 every week for a while now, but there just aren't many people who are taking note as they're not following PSG or Ligue 1. Check out the memes going around about Sterling's miss. City are being ridiculed again. Do you think something like this would've happened for PSG, had Atalanta managed to hold on or had Dortmund not shown such a lackluster performance in the second leg? I don't think so.
Now this is not to say that PSG aren't under pressure. They obviously are. But they are not by far the most under pressure team in a European competition of recent CL history because the interest from most of the press and fans outside France and perhaps the US is superficial at best. I think you claiming that as a PSG fan is a bit of wishful thinking or rose tinted specs. When Barca lost big time again, Pique offered to leave the club, and all of the Messi fans and the media are now going to be talking about them all summer. When Juve didn't make the quarters, they had all of the Ronaldo fans on their back once again. City are a being used as a laughing stock for fans in Europe atm because of their last CL exits despite the oil money and despite Pep being there. People know they could've achieved so much more and are ready to take note that they didn't manage to. I think any of these are under pressure to really perform sometime soon. PSG, too, are under pressure. But there's just not going to be much happening about it across Europe/outside France, if they fail.
But yeah, maybe my opinion isn't objective about this and some other posters can give their thoughts?
A loud mouth Leicester fan on Twitter is very excited because apparently Leicester want Rico to replace Kasper Schmeichel
Chelsea in 2012? But this is probably a bigger asterisk
It is not really an asterisk. CL is CL, if they win it against Bayern, it will be absolutely deserved. Yes we had a break and the modues changed a bit with the one game, but same rules for everyone. And in 2040, nobody will care when the CL winner 2020 will be Bayern or PSG looking back. Important is to have your name on the trophy and paper, creating facts.
agreed
UEFA Current season
https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/seasons/
UEFA Ten-year club coefficients
https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/tenyears/
International presence
https://acefootball.com/football-news/top-10-football-clubs-with-the-most-fans-worldwide/
https://sportmob.com/en/article/799700-football-clubs-with-most-fans-in-the-world
https://en.psg.fr/teams/club/conten...ring-the-global-growth-of-paris-saint-germain
https://psgtalk.com/2019/10/psg-has-more-instagram-followers-than-liverpool-and-arsenal/
Neymar - he won't be forgotten by true connoisseurs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neymar
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Tbh only in Germany is the members ownership a thing. Pretty much all clubs in other countries don't have that anyways. I still don't dislike Leipzig.
Psg on the other hand..
Posting links that prove sports-washing is effective is not going to make the people who hate PSG because it's a sports-washing project (myself included) change their minds.
In Spain, too
huh?