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Founded in August 1970 thanks to some 20,000 subscriptions from individuals desperate to see the return of an elite football club in Paris, PSG began life in the second division of French football in place of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, who together with Stade Sangermanois helped form the new club.
And success was immediate for PSG as they won the league title and celebrated its first birthday in the first division following promotion.
It wasn’t all good though as within the space of two years the Parisians and the Sangermanois had fallen out and a split occurred. The professional arm of the club continued life in the first division under the name of Paris FC, while PSG assumed amateur status and started over in the third division, similar to the Wimbledon and the MK Dons situation that unfolded in England over 20 years later.
Two successive promotions followed, bizarrely table toppers Quevilly refused promotion in 1973, which led to a place in the second division but the 73/74 season gave PSG the most pleasure.
Again PSG finished second in their division but they beat Valenciennes over two legs to secure their promotion to Ligue 1 at the expense of...you guessed it...Paris FC who were relegated. From that season onwards PSG have never dropped out of the French first division going on to become an important name in the French game.
Despite their relatively short career, PSG have been Ligue 1 champions twice, French Cup winners seven times, Ligue Cup winners on one ocassion as well as lifting the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1996. This is all the more impressive when you consider their first major trophy wasn’t won until 1982 when they beat a Saint-Etienne side that contained Michel Platini to claim the French Cup.
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On the subject of famous players, there are five who have played for both teams and they are Nicolas Anelka, Ali Benarbia, Sylvain Distin, George Weah and who could forget Djamel Belmadi?
The current crop of PSG stars include former Chelsea players Mateja Kežman and Claude Makelele as well as French internationals Jérôme Rothen and Ludovic Giuly with the dangerous frontman Péguy Luyindula looking for goals.
And it was strikes from Kežman and Luyindula which gave PSG their place in the UEFA Cup group stage as they overcame Turkish side Kayserispor 2-1 on aggregate in the First Round proper.
In La Championnat this season PSG currently sit in 11th place after eight games and this week the club has had to come out and deny rumours that it is looking to replace current coach, Paul Le Guen, with former French World Cup winner Didier Deschamps...watch this space.
Anyway, for whoever is in charge of the French team for the December 3 meeting with City it will be the first time the two clubs have played each other in any competition.
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