The stars always shine bright in the Parisian night sky, producing a serene backdrop, blending with the flashing lights from the stands and the pristine pitch at the Parc des Princes to create a splendid picture.
It’s the home of Paris St. Germain, the new rich kids of European football. The beautiful sights and atmosphere generated by the stadium was once the venue for an underachieving group of mediocre professionals. How quickly things have changed.
New owners Qatar Investment Authority spent over $132 million last season on incoming players, but still ended up falling short of the Ligue Un title. Almost $200 million was invested this past summer by club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, backing every target sporting Director Leonardo and manager Carlo Ancelotti set their sights on. The five-year plan was in full effect to make PSG a super power, with the ability to lure the biggest names away from some of the best clubs in Europe.
Naturally, all the focus was fixated on the arrivals of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, closely followed by the biggest splash of this summer’s transfer market, roughly $58 million on Sao Paulo’s Lucas Moura.
Slipping under the radar was the signing of an Italian youth prodigy that was virtually unknown outside of his native land. A modest purchase by PSG's standards at $15.5 million, Marco Verratti is a perfect example of the type of forward thinking Al-Khelaifi talked about when discussing his five-year plan for the club.
To read the rest of this article on Marco Verratti, click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/10/13/marco_verratti_psg_ligue_un/
It’s the home of Paris St. Germain, the new rich kids of European football. The beautiful sights and atmosphere generated by the stadium was once the venue for an underachieving group of mediocre professionals. How quickly things have changed.
New owners Qatar Investment Authority spent over $132 million last season on incoming players, but still ended up falling short of the Ligue Un title. Almost $200 million was invested this past summer by club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, backing every target sporting Director Leonardo and manager Carlo Ancelotti set their sights on. The five-year plan was in full effect to make PSG a super power, with the ability to lure the biggest names away from some of the best clubs in Europe.
Naturally, all the focus was fixated on the arrivals of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, closely followed by the biggest splash of this summer’s transfer market, roughly $58 million on Sao Paulo’s Lucas Moura.
Slipping under the radar was the signing of an Italian youth prodigy that was virtually unknown outside of his native land. A modest purchase by PSG's standards at $15.5 million, Marco Verratti is a perfect example of the type of forward thinking Al-Khelaifi talked about when discussing his five-year plan for the club.
To read the rest of this article on Marco Verratti, click on the link below...
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/champions_league/2012/10/13/marco_verratti_psg_ligue_un/
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