{"id":10109,"date":"2025-06-17T07:15:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T07:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/?p=10109"},"modified":"2025-06-17T07:15:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T07:15:14","slug":"paris-home-of-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.365scores.com\/news\/paris-home-of-football","title":{"rendered":"Paris is becoming the world\u2019s home of football, and Jurgen Klopp is helping it get there"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PSG\u2019s<\/a> Stade du Parc des Princes <\/em>sits pretty on the French World Cup<\/a> 1998 Monopoly board. It is the sole representative of club football in Paris. Sandwiched between Clarence Seedorf\u2019s  Netherlands and Franky van der Elst\u2019s Belgium, it\u2019s a healthy bit of Monopoly real estate. Which other team could lay claim to such an honour? Yet, there is a second Parisian team that is also metaphorically represented on the board. Five rolls behind their grand neighbours lies the \u2018In Jail\u2019 section of the board which is exactly where Paris FC have rotted for the last 40 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sir Alex Ferguson used to refer to Manchester City<\/a> as the \u2018noisy neighbours\u2019 of Manchester United<\/a>. PSG likely considered Paris FC as a long-lost cousin at best. Once belonging to the same institution, they broke apart in the early 1970s and have had contrasting fortunes ever since.<\/p>\r\n

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PSG have had Ballon d\u2019Or winners in the ranks, have won 13 league titles, and this year secured the elusive Champions League title.For Paris FC, their fate has been more like a sadder episode of Love Island. They have spent every year since 1979 outside of the top flight – watching their ex thriving whilst they\u2019ve struggled to move on from the breakup. PSG has a monopoly on fans in Paris and so PFC dishes out free tickets just so their games have a hint of atmosphere. A true basket case.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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That is until now. Paris FC have found a new match. A sexy, footballing match. Bernard Arnault is France\u2019s richest man and the owner of Louis Vuitton Mo\u00ebt Hennessy (LVMH), a luxury goods conglomerate that administers Louis Vuitton, Dior, Loro Piana, Loewe and many more of the world\u2019s most opulent fashion houses. In November of 2024, he acquired a majority ownership stake of the club. Red Bull Sports Group bought a minority stake in which they\u2019ll control the footballing decisions, akin to INEOS\u2019 arrangement at Manchester United.<\/p>\r\n

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The Arnault family has lofty ambitions for the club. The eldest son, Antoine, has emerged as the principal spokesman for the family and he\u2019s spoken of his desire to bring glory to Paris FC and a personal ambition to face Liverpool. Should they make it to Anfield, Jurgen Klopp, recently appointed as Red Bull\u2019s Global Head of Football, will be able to offer his expertise.<\/p>\r\n

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\"Jurgen\r\n
(Photo by Jan Kruger – UEFA\/UEFA via Getty Images)<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

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He certainly has the savoir faire<\/em>. Liverpool transformed in every way once he took control. He wasn\u2019t just a master tactician, he was an overseer of all key components of the club. Needless to say, it led to rampant success which has laid the foundations for years of ensuing glory. He\u2019s keen to do a similar, backstage transformation for PFC.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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Klopp has been spotted watching Paris FC alongside Antoine. It was Klopp who encouraged the Parisien outfit to move stadiums. It\u2019s also Klopp that will lead the transition towards shrewd signings and an academy-led approach. Antoine has mentioned that he “wants to build a team where we will have five, six, seven or even eight players who have come through the youth academy\u201d. He\u2019s in the right city for that to happen.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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Paris is at the heart of global football talent. In a constantly revolving metropolis, the Parisian youth channel their energies into the streetball of the banlieues, <\/em>the suburbs that surround the French capital. The style of football reflects Paris itself; it\u2019s chaotic, spontaneous and you need to be shrewd and skilled to thrive. It\u2019s seen legends Thierry Henry, Paul Pogba<\/a>, Kylian Mbappe<\/a>, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez come through its impressive ranks in recent years.<\/p>\r\n

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\"Paul\r\n
(GIUSEPPE CACACE\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

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30 players from Greater Paris played in the 2022 World Cup – more than in the entirety of the French squad alone. The second-most represented city was Sao Paulo, with 12 players. Paris is now the world\u2019s biggest football factory, and PFC are in line to profit.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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It\u2019s not that they haven\u2019t produced leading talent before, it\u2019s just they\u2019ve never been in a position to keep it. Nordi Mukiele, Axel Disasi, and Ibrahima Konat\u00e9 all were developed at Paris FC but each one left for another French club that had a better chance of progressing their careers.<\/p>\r\n

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The trio now play for PSG, Chelsea, and Liverpool respectively and have enjoyed trophy-laden shelves and cash-healthy accounts. They took the Chance card and advanced straight to go, collecting far more than $200 in the process. You can\u2019t blame them.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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Yet, that no longer has to be the case. Paris FC won promotion to Ligue 1 this season. They have a bright team. Maxime Lopez is a rarely dispossessed metronome with an eye for an assist and sharp defensive nous.<\/p>\r\n

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In front of him is the lethal Ivorian international, Jean-Philippe Krasso, who scored 17 goals on the road to promotion. With a kitty of at least \u20ac100m to spend this summer, Paris FC are targeting Ligue 1 journeymen and seasoned veterans such as Idrissa Gana Gueye and Hamari Traor\u00e9 to steer them towards a continued top-flight presence. Bright Parisian prospects will fill in the gaps.<\/p>\r\n

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PSG have squandered serious local talent over the last decade. Fully fledged internationals Mike Maignan, Ferland Mendy, Kingsley Coman, Christopher Nkunku, Moussa Diaby and many more have left the French capital for playing time elsewhere. Paris FC can become that next destination.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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Paris FC’s promotion marks the first time since 1979 that two Paris-based clubs (Paris FC and PSG) will compete in France’s top flight league. The two stadiums are just 30 meters apart, potentially making this the closest geographical derby in world football. pic.twitter.com\/aivFjAdyTB<\/a><\/p>\r\n\u2014 ianvestor \ud83d\udfe0 (@champ_ian) May 4, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote>\r\n