Paris Saint Germain could be considered as a newcomer in the arrangement of the top clubs of the French league. From a not-so-good club, suddenly it turned into a top club that can attract the best players in the world and change the entire economic environment of football.
Yes, Paris Saint Germain, a club that was founded on August 12, 1970, in the last decade, has asserted itself as the main force of France. In that period, PSG became the strongest and most successful club in the country where the maestro, Michel Platini, has been born.
Although still quite young, Paris Saint-Germain holds many records in France. At just 49 years of age, PSG has become the most successful French team in terms of the trophies number. In total, they have won 39 trophies.
But despite all their strengths and achievements, they are the most disliked club in France. A poll conducted by Ifop for L’Equipe revealed that PSG is the most hated club in France. Then why did it happen? There are several reasons for that.
The first is that PSG is the only club in the capital, specifically in France. In other European countries, the capital would have at least two clubs in the elite: Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham in London, AS Roma and Lazio in Rome, Atletico and Real Madrid in the City of Madrid.
The presence of these clubs creates competition in the capital. In Paris, only PSG became an elite club. So it seems there is no competition.
The second is because there is no Derby match. If the French center and the existence of one club in the capital make PSG the most hated club, the lack of derby matches also causes PSG’s unpopularity.
Everywhere in Europe, football fans have clubs to be hated where it is not far from themselves, even in the same city. In Milan, Liverpool, Manchester or Barcelona, brothers, and neighbors would hate each other on the weekends when their teams compete.
In France, except for the match between Saint-Etienne against Lyon, there are very few derby matches. And because it is football, so we cannot stand without hating. For those reasons, PSG becomes the club that is hated all over France.
The third reason is pride. Paris is not only the capital but also the most beautiful city in the world. Parisians are also aware of that. Even though the French has a reputation for being arrogant and very proud of their country, that is nothing compared to Parisians. Believe me, Parisians could have a very bad reputation in France.
Outside the capital, the people of Paris are not very popular. Most of them are arrogant and prefer to call themselves Parisians rather than French citizens.
For those who were born and raised in the city of Paris, being a PSG supporter is more honorable than being a supporter of the national team. Paris comes first, France comes later. The arrogance of the Parisians influenced its city’s club, Paris Saint-Germain.
The fourth reason is money. Before becoming a wealthy club, PSG is the same as other clubs that do not have a lot of money. But the arrival of Qatari businessmen in 2011 has placed PSG on another level of an economic perspective.
When many French clubs, including Marseille and Lyon, experienced significant financial problems, PSG bought several world football stars at high prices. This uneven budget has caused football fans in France to hate PSG even more.
The last reason is that PSG is often becoming the winner. Paris Saint Germain has become the most successful team in France. That causes football lovers in the country hate it. Many people hate PSG to be the champion.
For example, in 2012, all French football lovers were expected Montpellier to win the league instead of PSG, who at that time had just established themselves as a rich club. Even every year, at the Coupe de France event, the French media also would not really want PSG to be the winner.
Parisians love PSG as much as they love themselves and their city. PSG, however, never gets love from the whole country.
The French community, traditionally, is Olympique de Marseille and AS Saint Etienne from the mining town of Saint-Etienne. Between the two, Marseille was loved by more people because they came from a bigger city than Saint Ettiene.