PSG has been one of the biggest spenders in football in recent years and despite dominating domestically, they are on the brink of elimination in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Les Parisiens salvaged a 2-2 draw this morning against Napoli – Angel Di Maria’s 93rd minute goal rescuing the side from a home defeat.
If their Champions League form continues, they might find themselves playing Europa League football.Their less than impressive form suggests that money does not always equal success.PSG’s squad features several world-class players who have been bought, including Gianluigi Buffon, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Di Maria. On paper, they should be ahead in their group, however they have not started as well as they would have liked.They opened their campaign with a 3-2 loss to Liverpool and despite a 6-1 thrashing of Crevena Zvezda, the recent 2-2 draw with Napoli leaves them in third place.
Fellow big-money spenders Manchester City are another example of a lack of continental success despite splashing the cash, as the club have not progressed past the Champions League semi-finals since their new ownership.There have been clubs who have not necessarily spent large sums of money but have made deep runs in the Champions League.
The most recent occurred in the 2013/14 season when Atlético Madrid made the final of the competition. They led crosstown rivals Real Madrid 1-0 until Sergio Ramos equalised in the 93rd minute – Los Blancos going on to win 4-1 in extra-time.
In the season prior, German side Borussia Dortmund made the final, falling 2-1 to Bayern Munich. The score was level until the 89th minute, when Arjen Robben netted the winner.
In the 2011/12 season, Cypriot side APOEL reached the quarter-final of the Champions League, after entering the competition in the second qualifying round. They were able to defeat French outfit Lyon, knocking them out in the round of 16.
Finally, German side Schalke 04 made an impressive run in the 2010/11 edition of the Champions League, reaching the semi-finals after defeating Valencia and Internazionale in the previous stages. Despite eventually being knocked out by Manchester United, they proved that you do not have to be billionaires to perform well in football.
There are three more matchdays in the Champions League and PSG may storm home with three wins and progress to the next stage. However, they currently are at risk of being eliminated from the competition with a squad that features some of the biggest names in world football.
Money makes things easier in football, but it does not guarantee success.
