and despite early successes, they slumped down the table and were almost relegated in 2008. Since Nasser Al-Khelaifi and the QSI completed their takeover in 2012 however, their rise has been meteoric and so far unchallenged. Al-Khelaifi bought the club for less than the infamous Venkys paid for Blackburn Rovers, and has since referred to PSG as a “project.” Other fans use this as a derogatory term, saying that PSG no longer exists and has been replaced by ‘the project’.

Giants such as Carlo Ancelotti and Leonardo were brought in to manage the club and did so successfully, winning Ligue 1 in 2012 and enjoying a successful Champions League campaign; they only bowed out on away goals after draws with Barcelona.

Although Zlatan Ibrahimovic led the line in the leaguewith 30 goals, he played a more withdrawn role in Europe, holding the ball up and creating goals with strong center-forward play. He scored three and assisted five in the Champions League, with goals shared round the team; Ezequiel Lavezzi was the top scorer with five in nine European appearances.

Despite these impressive figures, it was not all smooth sailing for the journeyman Swede, as he was sent off in the 92nd minute of the first leg victory over Valencia for a cynical foul on Mexican winger Andres Guardado, leaving his team without their star striker for the crucial second leg. They survived it and went through to play Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

The standout performer across both legs was their influential captain, Brazilian defender Thiago Silva. Silva was calm