PSG-Chelsea in the Champions League, the money is not enough – The Équipe.fr

Apart from their year of establishment, PSG and Chelsea, who meet Tuesday evening (20.45) for the third time in three years during a confrontation knockout in the Champions League, have much in common. Located in the southwest of a great European capital, the two clubs have spent most of their lives at the top of their table without having dominated the Championship as the great historic clubs (Saint-Etienne and Marseille France, Liverpool and Manchester United in England). Prior to their redemption, they were also about the same ratio of European titles per year of: Chelsea won two Cups Cups (1971 and 1998) in 98 years, a PSG (1996) in 40 years

Abramovich 2003 QSI 2011

Then the two clubs have also shifted suddenly into another dimension. At Stamford Bridge, the new era came in 2003 when Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club for 140 million pounds (210 million euros). At the Parc des Princes is the royal family of Qatar, through its sovereign wealth fund, which bought 70% of the club for 50 million euros in 2011. In both cases, the goal was quickly posted: become one of the best clubs in the world and thus win the Champions League.
to achieve this objective, the two management teams have opted for purchasing policies with gold stars at first similar view. Of the first five seasons after their redemption, Chelsea (€ 568 million) and PSG (559) have spent the same amount in transfers to 10 million by (a gap that might have been reduced or even reversed if the PSG had not been a time hit by sanctions of financial fair play).

However, an analysis in more detail shows two slightly different policies. Where Chelsea spent his money on a large number of players (38 pay arrivals over the period), some of which have little or played were quickly resold, PSG has preferred to focus its spending on fewer players (27), with higher amounts for its large transfers.

As often remind players, coaches and presidents PSG have a great team is not enough to win the champions League . You also need an effective form in the spring and a bit of luck in the draw or in the course of the matches that switch often to this level of action. To support their arguments, the Parisians could take the example of Chelsea took nine years Abramovich to win the supreme continental title after failing four times in the semifinals and once in the final. At this rate, PSG will have to wait 2020 …

The above graph allows you to view the long quest for Chelsea, whose victory C1 coincides with a new wave of costly investments after two years of lull.

In the end, the case of Chelsea and PSG taught us one thing: in the modern game, it is possible to quickly buy a team capable of winning any championship, even the most prestigious of the world as the Premier League (PSG and Chelsea won the national title from their second post-redemption year). In terms of the Champions League, money is essential, but you also have (a lot) of patience.