Paris Saint-Germain became French champions for the 12th time in their history after the defeat suffered by second-place Monaco on their visit to Lyon, this Sunday, in the 31st round of Ligue 1.
Paris Saint-Germain is π²π·π°πΌπΏπΈπΎπ½ π³π΄ π΅ππ°π½π²π΄ for the 12th time in its history! πβ€οΈπ#ParisiansAndChampions pic.twitter.com/c94vYtawza
β Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) April 28, 2024
The draw against Le Havre on Saturday, at the Parc des Princes, had postponed this new achievement, but Lyon ended the suspense by leaving the Monegasques 12 points behind the Parisians, with only nine points left to play for until the end of the championship.
The capital club can now dream of a treble, as it is still competing in the Champions League (playing the semis against Borussia Dortmund on May 1st and 7th) and the French Cup (playing the final against Lyon in the May 25th).
At no point did the Parisians fear that the title would slip away throughout a season in which they dominated from start to finish, unlike the previous year, in which they had Lens on their heels.
The start of the season was not, however, easy for a team that had not yet caught up with the arrival of Spanish coach Luis Enrique. PSG only climbed to the top of the table on November 11th, after winning against Reims.
That afternoon, Kylian MbappΓ© scored a hat-trick and Luis Enrique asked him to do even more, in the first episode of a tense relationship, where the announcement of the star’s departure next summer led the coach to reduce his time on the field. .
Despite this context of broad consequences on a sporting and economic level, no competitor was able to keep up with the speed of the Parisian team, determined to win the title as quickly as possible.
The team, whose offensive game and intensity were marked by the former Barcelona coach, dominated duels against the greats of French football such as Lyon, Olympique de Marseille, Lens and Monaco, suffering only one defeat, against Nice, at Parque dos Princes, on the distant 15th of September.
“Obligation to win”
For several months now, PSG has had a ten-point lead over Monaco, Brest or Nice, ending any suspense over the identity of the French league champion.
It was, therefore, the most logical result, but also due to the astronomical budget of the Parisian club, which spent around R$492 million to acquire Randal Kolo Muani and which is able to afford Kylian MbappΓ©’s salary.
But it was also helped by the irregularity of teams like Olympique Marseille and Lyon, who exited the title race too early.
Luis Enrique expressed days ago the lack of “urgency” to secure the title. “The important thing is not when it will happen. The most important thing is how we play,” he said.
The coach is also aware of his advantages: “We have the best squad, the best budget. That’s why it’s almost mandatory to win the championship, but we achieve that by being superior.”
Euphoria
The anticipated title allows PSG to focus on the French Cup and the Champions League.
Not winning the first in the final on May 25 against Lyon, whom they recently beat 4-1, would be a disappointment after being eliminated in the round of 16 in the last two seasons.
But the priority objective of the club and QSI, the fund of its Qatari owners who joined the club in 2011, seems more complicated, with heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as competitors.
But first, PSG awaits the semi-final against German Borussia Dortmund, on May 1st and 7th.
The prospect of playing the second leg at the Parc des Princes and the euphoria that arose after eliminating Barcelona in April could give the Parisians extra confidence.
Luis Enrique does not hide his ambition for the triple crown: “It is motivation to do something that has never been done in France to mark the history of our club, the city and the country.” But the coach warns: “The road is still long and tortuous.”
See the last 10 Ligue 1 champions:
2024: PSG
2023: PSG
2022: PSG
2021: Lille
2020: PSG
2019: PSG
2018: PSG
2017: Monaco
2016: PSG
2015: PSG
See the teams with the most French Championship titles
PSG: 12 (1986, 1994, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Saint-Γtienne: 10 (1957, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1981)
Olympique de Marseille: 9 (1937, 1948, 1971, 1972, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2010)
Nantes: 8 (1965, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1995, 2001)
Monaco: 8 (1961, 1963, 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2000, 2017)
Lyon: 7 (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
Stade de Reims: 6 (1949, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1962)
Bordeaux: 6 (1950, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999, 2009)
Nice: 4 (1951, 1952, 1956, 1959)
Lille: 4 (1946, 1954, 2011, 2021)
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
