PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) is today the top French football team, and since 2011, Qatar became the new owner and brought it as one of the richest in Europe. They have a clear ambition to win the most prestigious club competition, The European Champions League. They made a considerable investment to get some of the best players. But PSG has not won it.
Is there a problem?
Many coaches have been in charge, and the sports results have never been at the expectations of such investment. Some will say that in 2020 there were very close and beaten by an incredible Bayern Munich.
If we look closely at the results, there were only very few games of excellent quality. Some results were only because of great individuals capable of scoring when needed. How the team has been organized or played has never been a reference in Europe. In French, Ligue 1, it should be the norm to see PSG win the title, but it happened three times that they didn’t get it over ten campaigns.
Many have pointed out the coaches are not capable of influencing the team and making all the great players play together. With time this reason seems not acceptable as some coaches did great before (Carlo Ancelotti) or did great after (Thomas Tuchel) or both (Unai Emery).
Can you just add the best players to get the best team?
Only one other team had many great players simultaneously. It is Real Madrid with the Galacticos. And were they better and won everything? The answer is no, and by far.
Adding exceptional individuals is not enough. It would be best if you had them play as a team, the spirit of football, a collective game. You could certainly build one team with one great player and win trophies (Messi with Barcelona, Ronaldo with Real Madrid). Apart from those examples, most teams that won the award in recent years were teams with no stars. And a team built to play with a different system (Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, etc.). Those teams have outstanding players. Some became great and top players with those teams (Lewandowski with Bayern, Salah with Liverpool).
Some will say that Messi played with Neymar and the team was great. I could mention also Luis Suarez but I don’t think he should be considered as great as the 2 others. They won and the big difference is that the team was built around one star Messi and none others. Neymar and Suarez accepted this until Neymar wanted to rise on his own and joined PSG. They formed one of the best lethal attack in one club.
The problem with too many stars is the same as in any team, they all want to be unique, and as a coach, you cannot give them advice (or barely). They could envy or be jealous of the other star(s) in the teams.
Today, PSG has Neymar, Mbappe and Messi. How can it be possible to develop a team organization with already 3 top players? They want to play as they wish, focusing on what is good for them. Even more in a world where data and so statistics are key.
The best teams have always been well organized, making efforts collectively and fighting for each other. Without this mindset, it looks impossible to be the best.
Do they prepare well?
On top, some players seem not to have what is needed to be at the top all the time and make the sacrifices to be the best for a very long time. How many times do you hear C. Ronaldo or Ibrahimovic doing and going to parties? Or playing pokers until very late at night? Or not doing the extras to be at their best?
Never but some PSG players do, and injuries happen. Then the way you used to play at your best will not be possible anymore. Of course, their Instagram photos look fabulous: they have a fantastic holiday on a yacht, partying all day and night, or have a beautiful body. But do they have the body to play at their best? Again, the answer is no. For some, they must be as lean as possible. They must keep the speed and explosiveness.
PSG did great over the years, but their strategy will not pay off to win prestigious trophies. What they are achieving is to have fans purchasing jerseys and other commercial products. To change that, they must enforce professionalism within the club, develop the team around one big star if they still want one, and focus on collective expression. Only then, they will have a chance to get their grail.
A player who makes a team great is better than a great player.
– John Wooden
Books to know more (affiliate links):
Messi Rules Book by Simon Mugford on BookDepositoryMessi Neymar Mbappe book by Cris Sergion on BookDepository
Neymar Rules book by Simon Mugford on BookDepository
Barcelona Complex book on BookDepository