PSG determined to end embarrassment
Chelsea’s Champions League final victory over Manchester City was humiliating for Paris Saint-Germain. Masterminded by a coach in Thomas Tuchel that PSG had sacked mid-season for little more than a clash of personalities, aided by a former captain, Thiago Silva, who Paris had released a year earlier. Chelsea and their PSG alumni achieved in half a season what Paris have been desperately striving for across a decade of Qatari ownership. Images of Tuchel and Silva lifting the European Cup wearing the wrong shade of blue amounted to what was arguably the project’s lowest ebb to date.
That embarrassment was compounded on the domestic front as Lille, whose first team cost roughly a third of PSG forward Neymar’s gargantuan transfer fee, spectacularly dethroned the capital club to win Ligue 1. Paris’ poor decision-making from the coach upwards has often made them their own worst enemies and, although crucially Neymar has signed a new deal, the club’s inability to convince Kylian Mbappe so far to do the same amounts to another disastrous piece of mismanagement. As it stands, the 22-year-old €180m forward will see out the final year of his contract and leave on a free next summer. A catastrophe, both sportingly and financially.
Although signings of wing-back Achraf Hakimi (Internazionale), midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool), centre-back Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan) have been made as much to impress Mbappe as to improve the team, they point to the resumption of normal service in Ligue 1.
Lille, whose first team cost roughly a third of PSG forward Neymar’s gargantuan transfer fee, spectacularly dethroned the capital club to win Ligue 1
With the gradual return of crowds (PSG lost more league games at an empty Parc des Princes last term than in the previous seven seasons combined), plus the traditional talent exodus elsewhere, PSG are clear title favourites.
However, now that rumours of a shock departure have dissipated, Mauricio Pochettino still has plenty to do. Although the Argentine coach’s incarnation of PSG admittedly remains under construction, in the early going they were often static defensively, weak against well-formed counter-attacks and struggled for creative inspiration when facing a low block. Although Pochettino’s ability to mould a more exacting counter-attacking unit amounted to some memorable European victories over Barcelona and a Robert Lewandowski-less Bayern Munich, Manchester City’s semi-final suffocation underlined just how far out of reach the club’s “holy grail” remains in their current guise.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Lille are facing an entirely different reality. With Les Dogues under new ownership following the forcing out of Gerard Lopez by Elliott Management, inspirational coach Christophe Galtier departed for the ever-ambitious Nice after protracted negotiations between the clubs, while much of his titlewinning side have either been sold or are up for sale. France goalkeeper Mike Maignan (Milan) and dynamic midfielder Boubakary Soumare (Leicester City) were the first to leave, as cash-strapped LOSC seek to use their success to help alleviate financial concerns.
After Laurent Blanc, Lucien Favre and Patrick Vieira all turned down the job, the appointment of Jocelyn Gourvennec as Galtier’s replacement was a surprise, having won just six of his previous 39 Ligue 1 games. After a tumultuous spell at Bordeaux and overseeing Guingamp’s relegation in 2019, Gourvennec has been unable to rediscover the spark that took Guingamp into Europe via a Coupe de France title during his first spell
in Brittany. Although top goalscorer Burak Yilmaz, under-rated stalwart midfielder Benjamin Andre and promising centre-back Sven Botman are likely to stay, an unpredictable coach without the scouting genius of Luis Campos for support means a return to Europe in any form will be Lille’s aim as a new cycle begins.
Despite only being appointed last summer, Niko Kovac is now the longest-serving coach in last season’s top-six and his Monaco side should provide the strongest title challenge outside Paris. Although the lack of European football helped, the speed at which Kovac moulded an aggressive, versatile and often thrilling outfit with a mix of experience, proven quality and exciting young talent was astonishing. A run of just one defeat in 19 league games miraculously kept Monaco in the title race on the final day. Although balancing European commitments will be tricky, a stable squad led by Wissam Ben Yedder, Kevin Volland and Kovac’s shrewd management will be aiming for the Ligue 1 summit.
Often PSG’s closest challengers, Lyon start afresh in 2021-22. Unable to make the Champions League despite an overpowered squad after minimal departures last summer, coach Rudi Garcia was replaced by former Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz. Although talisman Memphis Depay left for Barcelona and the likes of Houssem Aouar may follow, Bosz still has the considerable midfield grace of Maxence Caqueret and Lucas Paqueta alongside a host of internationals to rely upon. The Champions’ League will be Bosz’s primary target.
Following key man Florian Thauvin’s departure for Mexico, Jorge Sampaoli’s new-look Marseille with join Lyon in the Europa League, having spent €20m on Flamengo midfielder Gerson and nearly €10m on making defender Leonardo
Balerdi’s stay permanent, while also adding winger Cengiz Under and goalkeeper Pau Lopez from Roma, as well as Arsenal duo William Saliba and Matteo Guendouzi on loan. Rennes will be France’s first Europa Conference League representatives, while Galtier’s Nice, aided by the resources of Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS, and Claude Puel’s Saint-Etienne, whose talented squad quietly improved in 2021, will lead a gaggle of clubs looking to force their way into the top six.
After Monaco’s 2017 Ligue 1 triumph, PSG responded by acquiring Neymar and Mbappe, before cantering to the title with their rivals weakened by summer losses. A similar narrative seems likely this season, but with Kovac
The speed at which [Niko] Kovac moulded an aggressive, versatile and often thrilling outfit with a mix of experience, proven quality and exciting young talent was astonishing
and Monaco breathing down their necks domestically, more Champions League disappointment not unlikely, and the loss of the team’s greatest asset without a obtaining a transfer fee remaining plausible, even greater embarrassment could be yet to come.
Have Club Brugge outgrown Belgium? On the back of two league crowns and financial stability, the club’s hierarchy likes to think so. Onwards and upwards with plans for a new 40,000seater stadium on the site of the current Jan Breydelstadion under consideration, and perhaps even a BeNeliga, a crossborder league with the Netherlands, so as to generate more revenue and close the gap with Europe’s elite. But plans can backfire, as the club’s failed IPO demonstrated in painful fashion.
Even so, in the new campaign, Brugge will be confident of more silverware. Last season, “Blauw-Zwart” prevailed after a tight finish to defend their league title for the first time in 43 years. The team played engrossing and dominant football, resulting in a 16-point lead at the end of the regular season. That advantage was halved for the season-ending playoffs, an idiosyncratic mechanism in the Belgian league, allowing Racing Genk to briefly impress and even challenge.
Philippe Clement masterminded Brugge’s success. His coaching career has been a victory parade, winning three titles in four years, first with Genk and then twice with Brugge. He is a modern coach with good tactical acumen and communication skills. He knows how to mould a squad, improve players like teenage poster boy Charles De Ketelaere and central defender Odilon Kossounou. Stubborn, he doesn’t shy away from taking tough decisions, benching the team’s midfield metronome Hans Vanaken when needed.
Ever since Michel Preud’homme restored Brugge’s self-esteem in 2016 by guiding them to their first league title in 11 years, the club has taken flight. Sound financial management, capitalising on income from the Champions League and savvy transfer operations, dovetails with sporting success. Along with Genk, Brugge have been one of the few Belgian clubs with a positive balance sheet, booking €35 million profits in the 2019-20 season. It’s no coincidence that they have been so dominant.
Brugge are the team to beat and their rivals know it. Can Genk, Gent, Antwerp or even Anderlecht prevent Brugge from establishing a hegemony? Genk should be Brugge’s main contender, but will likely need to replace last season’s top goalscorer Paul Onuachu, who has been heavily linked with a big summer transfer.
Gent dream big, claiming to compete with Brugge. But last season was a torrid one, pocked by disarray in the dugout and boardroom, a lack of mental fortitude and supporters’ dismay. The club did ensure European football for this season, but the focus will now be domestically with coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck tasked with engineering a renaissance. Highly rated, he guided Gent to their maiden domestic crown in 2015 and led the team to the Champions League knockout phase a year later, either side of a short, unsuccessful spell at Anderlecht.
Revival is also the buzzword at Antwerp, where owner Paul Gheysens believes the sky is the limit. His club finished third under Frank Vercauteren, but didn’t renew the coach’s contract. His replacement, Brian Priske, will be expected to take the club to the next level having won the Danish league title with FC Midtjylland.
However the most pressing question yet is who will succeed the controversial Luciano D’Onofrio as technical director.
In the capital, coach Vincent Kompany is beginning to find his feet after a wobbly start to his first full season at Anderlecht. He abandoned the rigid possessionbased philosophy for a more pragmatic approach, yielding a European ticket. The club is staunchly proud and so another season not competing for the main prize won’t be accepted. Kompany however will be without last season’s top scorer Lukas Nmecha, who returned to Manchester City after his loan spell. Talented Yari Verschaeren has extended his contract, but there won’t be much leeway for reinforcements: the club is burdened by colossal debts.
Mbaye Leye faces a similar situation at Standard Liege, but his presence transcends the mere game. He is one of only three former African internationals to coach at a top-flight club in a big European league – Angolan Lito Vidigal and Nigeria Ndubuisi Egbo are the other two. Last season, Leye guided Liege to the domestic cup final but lost to Genk, and will need results to survive.
Further down the table, cult club Union St Gillis return to the elite tier for the first time in 48 years. Led by Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom, they will draw strength from the campaigns of both Beerschot and OH Leuven, who, last season, had no problems joining the big time. In a renewal of a cross-town rivalry, Union play Anderlecht in their curtain raiser. They are among Belgium’s most decorated clubs, hoping to rekindle old glory and dethrone Brugge.
Brugge are the team to beat and their rivals know it. Can Genk, Gent, Antwerp or even Anderlecht prevent Brugge from establishing a hegemony?