Humiliating may sound like an extreme word for Paris Saint-Germain’s season but the last 10 months have verged on the disastrous for the club. This time last year they strolled to their fourth title in a row, finishing 31 points clear of Lyon and Monaco as they won their second consecutive French treble. It was easy, as it had been for some time, but they have stagnated this season. And now, with Monaco surpassing them as Ligue 1’s premier side, the club’s identity has to be called into question.

Since the QSI takeover in 2011, Paris Saint-Germain’s focus has been on one thing: Europe. Winning the Champions League and becoming one of the continent’s elite sides was the reason the club was purchased. With their overwhelming pool of resources, domestic dominance was assured sooner or later, but Europe has now become an obsession. Laurent Blanc was dispensed with last summer despite his clean sweep of French honours, after another lacklustre exit from the Champions League. After winning a trio of Europa League titles at Sevilla, Unai Emery was enlisted to bring PSG success abroad and maintain it at home. However, despite the €125m invested in playing staff and the swathes of quality already in situ, this season has not only proven to be one of regression but has put the whole “project” into question.

It is worth noting that this has been a hugely successful season for French football on the whole. A pair of European semi-finalists in the irresistible Monaco and the freewheeling but often flaky Lyon made France the second most represented nation at the semi-final stage. It validated the notion that enough talent is being nurtured by Ligue 1 clubs for them to realise their potential and challenge in Europe after a long period of underachievement. Monaco’s glorious championship win and Nice’s strong title challenge made Ligue 1 compelling, aided by the latest onslaught of exciting breakthrough talent, with Monaco’s phenomenal Kylian Mbappé at the head.

In contrast to recent years, the profile of French football has been enhanced in spite of Paris Saint-Germain rather than because of them. Serious psychological failings in their biggest European matches were already evident under Blanc but they have been exposed to disastrous effect this season, most obviously in Barcelona, ensuring that this summer will be both crucial and full of uncertainty. The rest of the league has gained substantial ground on Paris Saint-Germain and they are in danger of becoming stale.

An overhaul is desperately needed but their policy of throwing money at marquee signings needs to be scrapped. Monaco have proved that effective, compelling and successful football can be achieved through intelligent scouting, considered squad building and investing in young talent. Granted, Monaco also have a billionaire owner, but their operating budget is roughly a third of PSG’s and their squad contains players carefully developed in their own academy plus those pinpointed as having potential from France and further afield. Paris Saint-Germain’s quasi-galáctico ethos has given them a squad lacking in heart, mental fortitude and, on the whole, any real emotional investment into the club.

The signing of Ángel Di María two seasons ago exemplifies this problem. Di María, a potentially world class player who had won the Champions League, seemed like a natural signing but the deterioration of his form and, seemingly, his attitude at Manchester United made him more of a mercenary, a gun for hire, who was hoping to escape England, which made his motivation for signing for Paris Saint-Germain questionable at best.

Of course, a large percentage of footballers – and people – will move where the money is but, to be successful at the highest level, desire usually has to be fed by more than just financial gain. Di María has been magical at times but, during the genuine pressure points he has often been anonymous, petulant and even cowering. His childish sending off at Nice last month was just the most recent example. Paris Saint-Germain appears to mean little to him and some of his colleagues.

Marco Verratti’s progression should be used as the blueprint for Paris Saint-Germain’s future dealings. A hugely talented player with great potential, he signed for the club at a young age and was given the chance to develop and embed himself in the city and its team. Paris is now his home and it is clear by his ferocious play, his passion and his leadership that Paris Saint-Germain means something to him. His will to win extends beyond the desire for the next contract. Clubs that win the Champions League often boast a core of players who have become ingrained at the club and developed an emotional bond that cannot be bought. Engendering that connection takes time. But time often appears to be the only thing that QSI are not willing to invest.

Monaco were bought by Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev soon after QSI’s arrival and, after briefly flirting with a policy of big spending, their forced change of direction has proven to be a blessing. They have built their team carefully. Young players have been allowed to grow together over the past few years and develop into an effective, passionate group. They outperformed Paris Saint-Germain’s best result in the Champions League under QSI and stole the league title by playing the kind of exuberant, fearless football the Paris Saint-Germain owners have always craved. Paris Saint-Germain are currently like a spoilt child who has been showered with gifts; they may have everything they want but, like a toddler, they are achieving very little.

The club have not used their academy enough in recent years, something Emery is trying to rectify. Faith has been placed in Adrien Rabiot, while academy graduates such as midfielder Christopher Nkunku, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and defender Presnel Kimpembe have all been given more responsibility this season, the latter in particular showing his qualities. In previous years they would have been sent on loan or given just a handful of minutes.

The leadership is also changing. Sporting Director Olivier Létang left last month while Patrick Kluivert’s position as Director of Football has been under threat – the club toyed with the idea of hiring Monchi, the man responsible for Sevilla’s superb player recruitment of recent years, before he eventually joined Roma. They have also been rebuffed in their efforts to recruit Atlético Madrid’s Technical Director Andrea Berta. Kluivert has been perhaps the most bizarre signing of the QSI era, his name again counting for a lot and his lack of credentials for little. The fact he did not recognise new signing Thomas Meunier, who had just played for Belgium at Euro 2016, on PSG’s summer tour last year says everything.

Paris Saint-Germain finished the Ligue 1 campaign with 87 points and they will probably win both domestic cups but this is little more than treading water. The nuanced way in which the new champions have handled their squad and has made PSG’s philosophy appear ignorant and shallow by comparison. This summer will be a crucial one for their “project”. The lack of progress has started to breed further uncertainty. Verratti, the club’s prized asset, may have seen enough. He is reportedly tempted by Juventus, Barcelona and others. He does not seem to want to leave Paris but he might have to if he is to continue to develop – and he might not be alone in that regard.

Pivotal decisions need to be made: about the position of the manager, the long-term role of ageing captain Thiago Silva, and who will oversee recruitment, to highlight just a handful. Paris Saint-Germain have achieved a significant amount for Ligue 1 in the last few years but they have reached a ceiling – one they have been hitting their heads against for some time. If they do not radically change tact soon, that ceiling could turn out to be their peak. French football is changing; they need to keep up.

Ligue 1 talking points

• Bordeaux will have a keen eye on the French cup final next weekend. Having finished sixth in the league, they now need Paris Saint-Germain to beat Angers to guarantee their passage into the Europa League. Paris Saint-Germain have not lost a cup match since the 2014 Coupe de France, so Bordeaux will be feeling confident. Marseille will have no such worries, after finishing fifth. Given the club’s bigger aims, the third qualifying round of the Europa League may seem like a poor return, but fifth place was not easy to obtain; they finished the season on an 11-match unbeaten run, which included a 4-0 thrashing of Saint-Étienne and a home win against in-form Nice. There were also mediocre draws at Lille, Toulouse and Nancy in that run, but given that they were in 12th place in November, fifth is a just reward for a maturing side. It shows improvement over the season and also allows Marseille to offer the carrot of European football next season to potential recruits, which could be vital as they look to restructure the team over the summer.

• Nicolas de Preville’s hat-trick against Nantes was hardly the stuff of dreams – one was a penalty and the two goals from open play had more to do the visitors’ defensive miscues than De Preville’s ability – but the goals took him to 14 for the season, an impressive total considering his first goal was only scored in Week 15. De Preville does not really have a set position – he’s not quite a striker, or a winger, or an attacking midfielder – which has put Franck Passi off starting him. De Preville faced similar issues last season with Reims, where he took on more of a creative role behind a variety of misfiring strikers, but given a better platform with his move north, he has sparkled. His future, at age 26, may be in some doubt as Lille embark on a youth-oriented transfer strategy, but given how vital his goals have been in avoiding relegation, the club would be foolish not to buy the player outright after his initial “loan” from Belgian side Oostende, a club owned by one of Lille’s previous shareholders, Mark Coucke, in a move that allowed Lille to bypass the scrutiny of the French football financial watchdog last summer.

• The battle to avoid relegation in Ligue 1 lacked the sizzle of the Ligue 2 promotion race, with a flurry of late goals shuffling Lens and Troyes into and out of automatic promotion, but did have its own bit of late drama. Caen were trailing 1-0 at Paris Saint-Germain going into stoppage time and were sitting in the play-off place on goal difference when Ronny Rodelin turned Maxwell to prod home Jonathan Delaplace’s cross, the match finishing 1-1. Caen probably have enough talent to beat Troyes, the third-placed team from Ligue 2, but were saved a potentially awkward pair of matches. Rodelin’s goal was also a measure of personal redemption after he had been dropped twice in recent matches and missed a penalty earlier in the match. The lanky attacker has not been quite as impressive as last season, with Ivan Santini more of the team’s focal point, but his class and ability have been key, making his permanent move from Lille last summer worth every penny.

• Alexandre Lacazette called time on his Lyon career in fine fashion against Nice, scoring a brace to take him to an even 100 goals in the league. Lyon could only draw, even against a weakened Nice, though, in a match that was a painful microcosm of their season. Lyon’s attack, particularly Lacazette, was impressive, and should have done enough to seal a victory but defensive errors from Nicolas N’Koulou (a poor backpass and a wayward arm leading to a penalty) led to them dropping points. With his team-mates consistently undoing his good work, it is no wonder Lacazette has had enough of his boyhood club. Linked with the always-solid Atlético Madrid, Lacazette has been a good servant for Lyon over the years, but with his 26th birthday next week, he in his prime and deserves a chance to play for a side whose defensive organisation can make his efforts worthwhile.

Ligue 1 results

Angers 2-0 Montpellier, Guingamp 1-0 Metz, Lille 3-0 Nantes, Lorient 1-1 Bordeaux, Lyon 3-3 Nice, Marseille 1-0 Bastia, Nancy 3-1 Saint-Étienne, Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Caen, Rennes 2-3 Monaco, Toulouse 0-0 Dijon.

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