► An Incredible Opportunity for French Football
Jean-Baptiste Guegan, a sports geopolitologist and football specialist, certainly sounds excited, doesn’t he? He practically frothed at the mouth while discussing how this sudden competition for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) could breathe new life into the French Ligue 1. Bless him! Miraculous, he says. I’m not sure about miraculous, but it’s certainly an interesting turn of events, like finding an unwrapped chocolate under your seat in the cinema—unexpected and slightly thrilling!
Imagine, folks, a scenario where there’s another club in Paris giving PSG a run for their money. It’s like someone finally opened a second French bakery in town: “Oh look, we have options!” Because let’s face it, for too long, French football has been like that one kid at school who always hogs the ball during recess—PSG has been doing the scoring while everyone else was simply trying not to trip over their shoelaces!
But wait, the real joy here might be for the fans! Competitive matches could actually have a little spice, like adding a chili to an otherwise bland ratatouille. This could get people watching again, boosting TV rights and creating that essential buzz we all crave—let’s face it, it’s been rather quiet on the Ligue 1 front lately, hasn’t it?
Now, it’s worth noting the approach Paris FC seems to be adopting. They’re not throwing money around like a drunken sailor on shore leave; instead, they’re choosing the patient route, building slowly and investing in youth. Good luck to them! With Red Bull in the mix, we can safely bet they’re not taking the “buy the star” approach reminiscent of PSG. They’re not after instant glory; they’re aiming for long-term stability. In the world of football, that’s about as refreshing as a perfectly chilled French rosé on a hot day.
► A Boon for the Arnault Family
Pierre Rondeau, our sports economist, spills the beans and reminds us that the Arnault family sees this as a golden opportunity—something akin to finding a purse on the street filled with cash. French football is in dire straits, and the Arnaults are swooping in like hawks! After all, who wouldn’t want to own a club with the Eiffel Tower on its crest? It’s practically a “get rich quick” scheme; only instead of a cheesy infomercial, it’s an exercise in capitalist football dreams!
But let’s not get too carried away. Rondeau wisely cautions us that the Arnault family won’t shell out lavish sums on players who tickle their fancy like the Qataris did with PSG. Instead, they’re in it for the long haul (and hopefully not just a short season of “Dancing with the Stars”). We might not see them dropping a truckload of money next season; instead, expect gradual investments—building a legacy maybe, rather like turning a humble café into a Michelin-starred restaurant!
However, here’s the kicker: Can Paris FC really make a name for themselves? Will they be able to lure in top talent over the established giants of Paris? Picture this—would you choose to play for a club without the glimmer of gold—or with the delightful charm of a coder winner? And can we honestly expect players to sign up for a club located in a sleepy corner of Paris, right next to a cemetery? Talk about being ‘dead on arrival’! Who wouldn’t feel like they were signing their life away there?
Ultimately, Paris FC has their work cut out for themselves as they tiptoe into the big league. Sure, they can dream big and harness the help of Red Bull, but we know how tricky the path is. Embracing a “development over decoration” mantra is wise—after all, bling-bling tends to drown under a lack of substance, much like a cake that looks fantastic but is a total flop on the taste buds!
As Rondeau poignantly concludes, we must not declare victory too soon. Paris FC has to earn their place—no shortcuts, no faux silver linings. Building a footballing identity to rival that of PSG will be their Everest. But perhaps, just maybe, if they play their cards right, we might indeed witness a new chapter in French football; one that is as thrilling as the finale of a well-written thriller series!
► An incredible opportunity for French football
Jean-Baptiste Guegansports geopolitologist, football specialist
For French football, I almost want to say that it is miraculous. It is a new player who will challenge Paris Saint-Germain and therefore add competitive intensity. This will make it possible to have, in the elite, a second club in the capital. Something which did not exist in France, unlike the other major European championships, which implies that there will be meetings at the top.
These posters will be sellers for our championship. Thus, we can imagine in the short term a more intense battle for the European cups and therefore a higher overall level. It has long been said that there were two French championships, one with PSG and the other with all the other clubs. The presence of a rival club is good for television rights, a real thorn in the side of our football.
When the Qataris came to the helm of PSG, it was considered that this could disrupt the player market, with footballers bought too expensively and impossible to resell. But when we take a real look at PSG since 2011, it’s ten French championship titles, a Champions League final, two semi-finals, stars that we would never have had in France otherwise, so it’s is rather positive in terms of impact, both for Qatar and for France.
Where there will be a difference with Paris FC is the desire of the Ligue 2 club to maintain the DNA put in place by Pierre Ferracci (current owner of the club and future minority shareholder until 2027, Editor’s note). Around Red Bull’s expertise (another future shareholder of Paris FC)we will not be on a model which will be based on the purchase of big stars but on a long-term training project. The Austrian brand will be the footballing guarantor, and the former Liverpool coach, Jürgen Klopp, who became global director of football at Red Bull, will contribute to the construction of a club which wants to be long-term, as he has done. often done where he has been before.
We are far from incomprehensible projects like that of John Textor (American owner of Olympique Lyonnais) or others who do it for political reasons, like Russian billionaire Dmitri Rybolovlev (owner of AS Monaco). There, it can be a project which aims to be reasonable, built over time, with a family which has incredible political connections and which, for five years now, has invested massively in sports sponsorship.
Furthermore, this investment takes place in the leading pool of footballers in Europe, the Île-de-France region. This will boost the Ile-de-France football ecosystem. Paris FC, like PSG, is identified. There is the name of the capital and the Eiffel Tower on the logo. When we see what the LVMH group has received in dividends from its investment around Paris 2024, it has proven that it is capable of doing what Qatar is doing, but better.
► A boon for the Arnault family
Pierre Rondeausports economist
Everything will depend on what the Arnault family will do with it. It is first and foremost a windfall effect for it: French football is in great financial difficulty, its economy is in bad shape, television rights have fallen sharply, the change of broadcaster has made its image invisible, audiences are in distress, the sponsors grumble.
The owners are therefore ready to give up their jewel for little cost and sell off the professional clubs. The Arnault family jumped at the opportunity to take over a club, leader of Ligue 2, renowned and above all bearing the Eiffel Tower on its logo, thus conveying an international brand image. As a rational investor, it will therefore first seek to make its investment profitable and not spend lavishly for geopolitical reasons, as Qatar was able to do previously with PSG.
I would be very surprised if the club spent more than 100 million euros next season if it were to move up to the first division. You must first build and make your investment grow. Especially since, at this stage, there is no certainty about the project or the result. François-Henri Pinault did not make Stade Rennes a competitor to PSG, for example, despite its financial means. And the Matra Racing project, in the 1980s-1990s, with Lagardère, ended in a flop.
To grow Paris FC, we must also build public loyalty, create an identity against the ogre Paris Saint-Germain and exist in Île-de-France with this competition. Today, Paris FC is not worth much, and its Charléty stadium is a foil. It will take time and hope before imagining a second big club in Paris.
Looking ahead a little, we can very well imagine that, with the exit clause in 2026 from the broadcaster DAZN, a new call for tenders for television rights will take place at the very moment when Paris FC will appear as a giant competitor to PSG , with superstars. From then on, perhaps TV rights could increase and, through trickle-down effect, have an effect on French football. But we can’t declare victory right away. This assumes that Paris FC presents itself with this status from 2026, with superstars capable of making Ligue 1 take off.
However, as it stands, who would want to come to Paris FC, if not for a salary higher than the market price? Who would agree to sign for a new club with no history, no fan base, no track record, in the 13th arrondissement, between the ring road and a cemetery? Paris FC should not try for bling-bling and stars, or else it will get lost. It should focus on development and training, with the help of Red Bull, the other shareholder. And position itself as anti-PSG, since it presents itself as its main rival.
