Paris Saint Germain have done it again. For the second successive season, the Champions League trophy belongs to the French capital, and this time the...
Paris Saint Germain have done it again. For the second successive season, the Champions League trophy belongs to the French capital, and this time the celebration was an affair of state. The journey began at the Champ de Mars with the Eiffel Tower as a silent witness, a fitting backdrop for a club that now stands at the very summit of European football. From there, the silverware cut a path through the city, winding its way to the spiritual home of the club, the Parc des Princes.This was not a mere lap of honour. It was a procession laden with meaning, a tangible statement of dominance. To win the European Cup once is monumental. To double up, to back it up with a second star on the chest, that is the hallmark of a dynasty. One wonders if the rest of the continent has truly grasped the shift in the balance of power. The Parc des Princes, that cauldron of noise and colour, was the final destination. You can keep your open top buses and winding rivers; for the supporters, seeing that big eared cup held aloft on their own turf, in their own fortress, is the only communion that matters.What makes this feat even more striking is the weight of expectation that this PSG side carries. In previous eras, the club had a reputation for suffering from a touch of the jitters on the biggest stage, for letting the occasion swallow them whole. Not this group. They have developed a cold, clinical edge. Pochettino, or whoever was in the dugout for this run, has instilled a tactical flexibility that allows them to win ugly when required and blow teams away when the space opens up. The players looked utterly at ease with the trophy in their hands, as if it were their birthright. That confidence is the most dangerous weapon a champion can possess.For the fans lining the streets and packing the stadium, this is validation. For the owners, it is a return on a decade of investment. For the rest of us, it is a warning. The noise from Paris has quieted down at last, but the message is louder than ever. The City of Light is now the capital of European football, and they have no intention of giving up the crown.The parade was a masterclass in pageantry, but the real work begins again soon. The question hanging in the air now is simple: can anyone stop them making it three in a row
