PSG need a culture change to be European success

Paris Saint-Germain once again suffered a premature exit from the Champions League despite starting the season as the ultimate contender for the highest crown in European football.

The Parisians threw away a two-goal lead against Real Madrid in the last 30 minutes to suffer a 3-2 defeat at Santiago Bernabeu, which curtailed their European campaign for this season.

Apart from the 2019/20 campaign, when PSG finished their Roud-of-16 hoodoo to make it to the final, the Ligue 1 giants have vastly underperformed in Europe’s most elite club competition despite having star-studded squads.

One might point towards PSG’s semifinal run under Mauricio Pochettino last season, but truth be told, they were fortunate to make it to the last four, having won only six of their 12 matches in the tournament.

Why do PSG fail to make a mark in Europe?

They have the quality to conquer Europe, but why can’t they?

Ever since the Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) took over the club in 2011, they have invested ten-figure numbers of money.

Other than domestic dominance, the club don’t have much to show for it.

The lack of cohesion between the players has been apparent in PSG for years.

The club hierarchy has partnered with marquee fashion brands and celebrities like Rihanna to promote the club as a cultural icon.

But, they did little to address the culture problem that is restraining PSG’s potential as a football club.

Poor team morale

Reports claim, after the final whistle at Bernabeu, Neymar and Gianluigi Donnarumma got involved in a heated exchange, blaming each other for the loss.

It doesn’t paint the picture of high team morale.

PSG have been a team of individuals for far too long. A cultural overhaul is essential to meet the sky-high ambitions of the club.

The Parisians have frequently thrown their managers under the bus for the club’s below-par European campaigns.

But, they mostly tried a blind eye towards the disciplinary issues that made managing PSG a nightmare for any accomplished manager.

Carlo Ancelotti, Laurent Blanc, Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino-all these tacticians have failed to stamp their mark in the PSG dressing room.

Player power has been too prominent in the club. As a result, the Parc des Princes outfit barely looked like a unified front.

Without addressing this issue, PSG will never achieve their goal of becoming a true European powerhouse.

Putting together a team full of superstars will only serve as a Galacticos parody, unless the club puts more trust on the manager.