Jules Mur

The Parisian club is now on the wrong side of the history books: 6-1 comeback defeat against Futbol Club Barcelona (6-5 agg.) and now a 3-1 defeat against Manchester United (3-3 agg.).

But there’s no point in beating a dead horse and instead of discussing the “controversial penalty call” – which was and is a penalty under the Champions League rules and interpretations of a penalty – we should instead focus on the culprit behind the implosion of this pharaonic project (Qatar Investment Authority total signings: €1.03 billion): mettle.

PSG do not have the mettle to lift the Champions League trophy! And, I dare say, may never have the mettle to do so.

It all starts with the league:

Some may argue that La Liga isn’t a league, but a duopoly of two of the greatest clubs in European nights – and the greatest in the European competition – Real Madrid C.F (13 European titles and 2x three-peat champion) and Futbol Club Barcelona (5 European titles). But that’s where most La Liga detractors get it wrong!

La Liga isn’t just a league, but a nuclear arms race between two of Football’s superpowers that vie for everything. These are clubs that a trophy-less ends in the resignation or termination of managers, often times midseason, like Real Madrid have done in recent memory. It’s no wonder why Florentino Perez, Real Madrid President, “has hired and fired 13 managers in his 15-year tenure”. Likely to raise the total to 14 after an early exit from all competitions under the helm of interim manager Santiago Solari.

Barcelona – now enjoying a little more stability – accepted the resignation of Tata Martino after a trophy-less season. Luis Enrique, before winning the triplet, faced severe criticism and eventually his position called into question.

For the Clasico giants there is no trophy-less season!

These clubs, like the Premier League greats, all have one thing in common: a bitter rivalry that borderlines nuclear or an extremely competitive, unforgiving league. As Pep Guardiola, Manchester city manager, would say in an interview “Premier League is harder to win than the Champions League.”

A team’s mettle is tested daily in these types of environments, and, unfortunately for PSG, they will not find the level of competition that strengthens you for these nights in France’s Ligue 1.

There isn’t a Manchester derby, a Clasico, Madrid derby, or any derby/rivalry of importance… not for a lack of want, but for a lack of competition: PSG are currently 1^st in Ligue 1 with 71 points, a 17-point lead over second place LOSC with 54 points.

The domestic league competition is where mettle is forged and strengthened, where players learn to play as a team, cope with the mental pressures and stresses, and where any issues may be sorted before undertaking the most star-studded competition in Europe: The Champions League. After all, how do you attempt to fix any issues – outside of Champions League group phase – when you have no direct rival on a week-to-week basis?

But this isn’t just about the League, but something more.

My Mrs. has always quoted “Money doesn’t buy you happiness, but it sure as heck buys you peace of mind.” In PSG’s case “Money doesn’t buy you Champions League, but it sure as heck buys you domestic cups.”

There is a level of arrogance and pride in the Parisian club that rivals Real Madrid – sans pedigree and most importantly mettle – that is incomprehensible and results in acts of sheer folly!

PSG’s attitude has been put on display, their mettle – a series of montages highlighting their implosions, and mental breakdowns that one can only associate with a type of team that lacks pedigree, fortitude, conviction to lift the big trophies: and that’s the difference between the wannabes and the champions!

No team fears PSG, especially if you’re an elite European club (UCL “badge of honour”), like Real Madrid and Barcelona.

And now, players will rethink venturing into the unknown Parisian waters, where the likelihood of a special player residing dwindles at the prospect of not lifting the most coveted trophy in Europe. Frenkie de Jong most recently turned down a head spinning offer from the Parisians to instead join Barcelona in the summer of 2019.

And it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Ligue 1’s competitiveness is called into question: only 1, yes one, Ligue 1 club has ever won the European Cup or Champions League! What’s more startling is the number of finalists they’ve had: 6. Only six finalists, including the winners Marseille.

Finally, there’s the issue of philosophy:

PSG appear to have none. There isn’t an emblematic approach to their playstyle, their culture, history – perhaps because it’s a young club – but since the acquisition of the club by Qatar there hasn’t been a shift in football outside of “bring the biggest stars!”.

Instead, their philosophy is money: blank checks or over-valued transfer figures that have been compounded by Qatar (PSG) and United Arab Emirates (Manchester City).

Unlike PSG, ManCity have a philosophy, an idea, and the academy to strengthen the numbers of those that are willing to die on the pitch for the crest on their chest. Madrid’s run of 4 Champions League in 5 years had a fanatical captain, and ruthless competitor in Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo that was bolstered by homegrown players and longtime admirers of the club. Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola dynasty at one point featured 8, yes eight, La Masia – Barcelona’s academy – players: Valdez, Pique, Puyol, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, and Messi.

As a result, PSG players appear almost mercenary-like, incapable of flipping the switch that is otherwise found in homegrown players or players that dreamt playing for the club, and apathetic in the face of adversity.

Herein lies the problem: they face no adversity and players don’t know how to rally out of disadvantageous situations. There isn’t a belief, a motto, a moment in history, or the fanaticism behind players to live and die on the pitch for the love of the crest, el Famoso escudo, that fans feel in the French capital.

Kylian Mbappe is a native of Paris, but his dream club was Real Madrid – his father inquired the moment Barcelona saw Neymar flee for France and turned down Florentino Perez after it was unclear what Mbappe’s role would be. Neymar’s dream was either Real Madrid or Barcelona, coming close to signing for the Merengues, joining Barcelona, but abandoning the Catalan giants for higher wages and to step out of the omnipresent shadow of Lionel Messi – ironically to step into the shadow of the French superstar, World Cup Winner, and heir to Lionel Messi’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or throne: Kylian Mbappe.

And don’t even get me started on the Brazilian clan that was embarrassed in front of their country with a 7-1 thrashing by Germany in the 2014 World Cup, their anemic performances in the 2018 World Cup, and their failures in Copa America – this generation of Brazilian players has never played in a Copa America Final!

PSG is a mentally weak team, a rudderless project, and filled with people that don’t know football or lack a football vision, philosophy like Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Antero Henrique, Maxwell, and Thomas Tuchel.

After all, they are responsible for the current team, the hires and fires, and the shambolic form they’ve shown in Europe. In order to fix the problem, PSG need to identify it, but in order to identify they must admit that their project has failed and do the risky but courageous decision of rebuilding.

PSG will not win the Champions League with this roster, not because they don’t have the talent, but because they lack the mettle and conviction to win it all!