PSG and French football prepare for challenges in the post-Mbappé era

Paris Saint-Germain ended the season with a domestic double after beating Lyon in the French Cup final on Saturday, but will now begin preparing for another Champions League assault next year, this time without Kylian Mbappe.

The France captain ended his seven-year spell at PSG in a 2-1 victory over Lyon in which he failed to add to the club’s record tally of 256 goals, with Ousmane Dembele and Fabian Ruiz scoring that night.

It was a deserved victory over a Lyon team who were the best team in France in the second half of the season, having been bottom of the table in December.

But PSG’s continued dominance of French football simply reflects its overwhelming financial power compared to any other club.

Following the most recent detailed reports published by DNCG, the watchdog which oversees the finances of French professional clubs, PSG’s revenue in 2022/23 was roughly equivalent to that of the next five richest teams – Marseille, Lyon, Monaco, Rennes and Lille –– together.

Their focus has always been on winning the Champions League, a trophy they have never managed to get their hands on over the years, with Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and other stars in their ranks.

And coach Luis Enrique knows how big a task lies ahead as they look to build a team that can enjoy the Champions League success they were never able to achieve under Mbappe.

“He is obviously a different player and we cannot replace him with a single player. Forget it. There is no replacement for Kylian Mbappe,” PSG’s Spanish coach said after Saturday’s final.

“We need to replace him with the team as a whole, and perhaps with four, five or six new signings.”

– ‘Great challenge’ –

Whether PSG will pursue a big star – think Victor Osimhen or Rafael Leão – remains to be seen, but they may want to avoid the kind of approach taken by Barcelona when they lost Neymar in 2017, or by Tottenham Hotspur when they sold Gareth Bale to the Real Madrid.

Barcelona paid premium prices for several big names in an attempt to replace the Brazilian, but most of them didn’t work out.

Spurs employed a scattershot approach, with a series of signings compensating for the loss of Bale – again, the success of this strategy was limited.

“A big challenge for any player who wants to come here is that we want to make history,” added Luis Enrique.

“This club will, sooner or later, win the much-desired Champions League title. It’s difficult to beat it. It may take years, but they will win it in the future, without any doubt.”

The Qatari-owned club are set to prepare for next season with a tour of China, where they will face Monaco in the French season-opening Champions Trophy in early August.

The new Ligue 1 season begins on August 16, with the Champions League starting in mid-September.

“This season is coming to an end, but negotiations and possibilities to improve the squad are already beginning,” said Luis Enrique, who will also feature remaining stars such as Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Portuguese midfielder Vitinha and teenage sensation Warren Zaire. Emery.

“It’s an impressive project when you consider what this club is capable of achieving,” added the coach before contemplating the summer holidays he intends to spend at home, watching part of Euro 2024 on television “with a beer or two”.

What about the rest of French football?

Lyon are hoping to continue their remarkable second half of the season under coach Pierre Sage, who is set to sign a new contract.

Marseille are in search of a new coach after a poor season in which they failed to qualify for Europe, while Monaco and surprise side Brest are eager for Champions League campaigns.

But the health of the league as a whole is uncertain, beyond the problems caused by PSG’s dominance.

Ligue 1 still does not have a broadcast deal for next season as clubs continue to struggle financially following the collapse of a record contract with Spanish company Mediapro in 2020.

The hope, according to reports, is that a deal will be struck with beIN Sports – a network that is, like PSG, controlled by Qatar – but time is of the essence.

how/pi