Sometimes even the most iconic figures at clubs slip up, as the Swede discovered this week when he suggested the capital outfit were only "born" five years ago
Certainly not for the first time in his career, Zlatan Ibrahimovic courted controversy this week. Prior to Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory over Chelsea on Wednesday, he claimed the club were only truly formed when QSI took them over in the summer of 2011.
“PSG were only born the day QSI bought the club,” he said in the pre-match press conference in his typically provocative style.
Some fans bristled at the comments of the Swedish striker, and though he made amends with a match-winning display in London his words will not be easily forgotten. **Goal
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From Pedro Pauleta to George Weah, through to Ronaldinho and Rai, some great names flourished at the Parc des Princes before the arrival of QSI. There is no question of the fans forgetting these players, who gave everything to the cause. And there was no Ibrahimovic to convince them to join the club. There was not so much money, but the heart of the club beat so hard that the fans kept these great names satisfied by creating an atmosphere worthy of the best players.
PSG HAVE CREATED BALLON D'OR WINNERS
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has confessed that it has been his dream to win the Ballon d’Or since he was a child, yet he seems to have forgotten that two players already bestowed of that honour passed through PSG. George Weah and Ronaldinho both played in the French capital at crucial points of their careers, and though neither would go on to win that award at Parc des Princes, they would claim it in part thanks to the contribution of the capital side.
BEFORE QSI THERE WAS LIFE IN THE STANDS
Although at times there was sometimes a devise atmosphere at the Parc des Princes before QSI, it was never so poor as it has been since the arrival of the Qataris. Ibrahimovic has campaigned for a more vibrant stadium, yet he forgets that before his arrival, the Parc would resonate with the sound of song and encouragement to the team. In those days, fans were connoisseurs, not consumers. The players did not need giant screens and videos, nor the words of songs displayed for them to sing.
PSG HAVE WON A EUROPEAN TROPHY... HAS ZLATAN?
In 1996, before Ibrahimovic was in their ranks, PSG won the European Cup Winners’ Cup, defeating Rapid Vienna 1-0. It was a historic success for the French side, who had got to the semi-final of the competition a year earlier. Ibrahimovic has failed to inspire them to similar heights; proof that the Laurent Blanc era still has some pre-2011 records to match.
GREAT EUROPEAN NIGHTS HAVE LONG EXISTED AT PARC DES PRINCES
PSG might be relative upstarts in the Champions League, but long before money poured into the top European sides they were a force to be reckoned with. There were big games against Barcelona in 1995, while Antoine Kombouare’s header to defeat Real Madrid in 1993 has gone down in French footballing history.
BEFORE THE QATARIS THERE WAS CANAL+
It was Canal+ who played the biggest role in forging PSG’s current identity, and not QSI. The broadcaster invested in the club as they tried to create a rival to the dominant Marseille side of the early 1990s. Unlike the current owners, they did not drive the Ultras from the Parc des Princes, and as a result they were able to build a strong club with a genuine identity.
MARSEILLE-PSG WAS NOT ONE SIDED - AND IT WAS GREAT!
If there is one match a year that Marseille supporters look forward to, it’s their meetings with PSG. The ‘Classique’ is watched by millions – and not only lovers of Ligue 1, but by neutrals who are lured in by the passion of these incredible games. But the more dominant PSG become, the less this is a competitive fixture.
THE ROMANTICISM OF PSG MEANT SOMETHING
To win everything – that is the new target of PSG. But before today’s stars arrived, PSG were not a team of robots. Anything could happen and there was some of the magic of football about their games. Fans came to the ground, stomachs knotted with nerves, without a clue what might happens. Unhappily that no longer happens – even if that’s very good for PSG.
CULT HEROES WERE BORN
PSG’s squad has not always been built of stars, yet the capital side have their own unlikely heroes to look back on. Amara Diane, for example, scored twice in Sochaux on a May night in 2008 to save the club from relegation. It was an achievement that wrote his name in club history, when otherwise he might have gone unrecognised. After a career in the Gulf, he now plays in the Belgian second division, forgotten but for fans at the Parc des Princes.
PSG WERE FOUNDED ON AUGUST 12, 1970!
A quick look at the history books shows a key date: August 12, 1970. That is the day upon which PSG were formed. Sometimes, all it takes is to flick back a few pages to discover the information you need.**
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