Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC met, on the French night of Sunday (4), for the first time in almost five decades. The teams dueled at Parque dos Príncipes, in the 17th round of the French Championship, with the current European champion winning 2-1.
PSG dominated the actions and had control of ball possession, but faced some difficulty in transforming this superiority into an advantage on the scoreboard. He opened the scoring at the end of the first half, in the 45th minute, with Doué. Geubbels equalized at six in the final stage, with a penalty, Dembélé then defined the score, at eight.
The last duel between the teams took place in 1978. This weekend’s clash marked the meeting of clubs that are now 22 meters away from each other. The stadium in which Paris FC returned to the French first division, Jean Bouin, is separated from the Parc des Princes by a street, Claude Farrère, in the 16th district of Paris.
There is kinship between the groups. In 1969, missing a big team in the French capital, a group of directors founded Paris FC. The following year, it merged with the small Stade Saint-Germanois, from a neighboring city, and became Paris Saint-Germain.
In 1972, the club split into two: Paris FC, in the first division, and Paris Saint-Germain, in the third. In 1974, PSG reached the first division, and PFC was relegated, and their trajectories took opposite directions. They even faced each other a few times – the last time, in December 1978, there was a 1-1 draw. Afterwards, while PSG prospered, PFC waned.
Acquired in 2011 by an investment fund controlled by the Qatari royal family, PSG is today a superpower, with a large and passionate fan base. Now, the PFC aspires to similar status. In 2024, it was taken over by the Arnault family, one of the richest in the world, owner of the LVMH group, which owns luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Dior. The powerful Austrian group Red Bull holds a minority stake in the capital.
Winner of 11 of the last 13 editions of the French Championship, Paris Saint-Germain is second in the 2025/26 edition, with 38 points, one behind Lens. Paris FC, which is back in the first division after a long period of absence, has 17 points, is in 15th and, for now, is fulfilling its goal of avoiding relegation.
