Did you Know?
This shirt was worn by Neymar during the Champions League game between Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain which took place in Napoli, “San Paolo” Stadium, on November 6th 1018. PSG draw 1-1 and Neymar swapped his shirt after the game with a Napoli’s player whom we got it from. On 3 August 2017, Barcelona announced that Neymar’s legal representatives made a payment of €222 million to the club, equal to the release clause of his contract, which constituted the most expensive transfer ever. The club informed UEFA so that they can determine any disciplinary responsibilities that may arise from this case. According to the BBC, in Spain, the release clause must be activated by the footballer himself. The situation was unusual, in that the fee was paid to the club directly, after La Liga had refused to receive the payment. Usually, the buyout clause is deposited with La Liga in order to release the player from his contract, and the league then passes the money to the selling club. However, La Liga rejected the payment—citing violation of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by PSG, who are backed by money from Gulf state Qatar. Neymar joined French club Paris Saint-Germain on a contract that would run until 2022. He was offered the number 10 jersey by Javier Pastore as a “welcome gift”. On 27 August 2017, FC Barcelona filed a lawsuit against Neymar, demanding he return the contract renewal bonus he received as well as €8.5 million in damages and an additional 10% for the arrears. They claimed they are owed money that Neymar received as part of a renewal bonus when he signed a new contract in 2016. The club also requested Paris Saint-Germain to take on the responsibility for the payment of the fees if the player cannot do so himself. Neymar’s lawyers announced that they will contest the case. In the 2018/2019 season, on 12 August 2018, Neymar scored PSG’s opening league goal in a 3–0 win over Caen at Parc des Princes. Neymar scored from a penalty in his next game as PSG won 3–1 against Guingamp in Ligue 1. In the following league game, the front three of Neymar, Mbappé and Cavani all scored in a 3–1 win over Angers at home, with Neymar scoring from Mbappé’s cut back and setting up Cavani to score the opener. On 3 October 2018, Neymar scored a hattrick in a 6–1 win over Red Star Belgrade in a Champions League group stage fixture. He suffered a foot injury in late January 2019 that kept him out of his side’s Champions League round of 16 tie against Manchester United F.C. After United eliminated PSG, Neymar went on Instagram insulting video review officials for awarding a stoppage-time penalty to United. UEFA banned Neymar for three matches for the insult. On 27 April 2019, Neymar scored in the 2019 Coupe de France Final against Rennes, but Rennes made a comeback and won on penalties. After the match, Neymar was caught on video appearing to punch a spectator in the face. The spectator had been filming and insulting PSG players. PSG said they supported Neymar “100 percent” over the incident. Neymar admitted he was wrong, but argued that neither he nor anyone else could have stayed indifferent. PSG coach Thomas Tuchel responded: “It’s not easy to climb the stairs after a defeat. If we lose, we must show respect. You can’t come into conflict with a spectator.”
Things to Know:
In the 2018/2019 season, after much muted hype and extreme anticipation, Nike have officially launched the Jordan Brand x Paris Saint-Germain collection. After a series of product teases through the likes of Justin Timberlake and Travis Scott, the collection now hits Paris with full Jumpman flight. In the last few years prior the collection’s launch, Jordan Brand has been a growing presence in Paris. A Jordan-only store — Jordan Bastille — opened in 2016, and in 2017 the brand announced a partnership with the French Basketball Federation. These examples buttress a long-standing, organic relationship between brand and city, which began with Michael Jordan’s first visit in 1985. That connection has been retained through the decades, highlighted by continued support of the Quai 54 World Streetball Championship. So in the 2018/20198 season PSG became the first football club to have a Jordan Brand collection. “Jordan Brand and Paris Saint-Germain share a distinct position in sport and style, so to partner with the club is a natural fit,” says Michael Jordan.
Did you Know?
This shirt was worn by Kylian Mbappè during the “Ligue 1” game between PSG and Olympique Lyonnaise which took place in Paris, “Parco dei Principi” Stadium, on February 9th 2020. PSG defeated Olympique Lyonnaise 4-2 and at the end of the game Mbappè swapped his shirt with an opponent player whom we got it from. The shirt is washed but it still has some stains on the back recognizable from game’s footages. On 31 August 2017, Paris Saint-Germain announced the signing of Mbappé from Monaco on loan. Part of the tipping point was a convincing speech by then-Paris coach Unai Emery at the Mbappés’ home in the summer, when Zidane was not guaranteeing the youngster a starting spot at Real Madrid (fresh from their 12th Champions League triumph) with an attacking trio of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo. In the season 2019/2020, on 3 August, Mbappé scored in a 2–1 win over Rennes to capture his first title of the 2019–20 season, the 2019 Trophée des Champions. He then scored again in PSG’s opening Ligue 1 match of the season, a 3–0 home win over Nîmes on 11 August. On 22 October, he came off the bench and scored a perfect hat-trick, in a 5–0 away win over Belgian side Club Brugge in the Champions League; at the age of 20 years and 306 days, he became the youngest player ever to score at least 15 goals in the competition. On 1 May 2020, PSG were crowned Ligue 1 champions after the season had been called off amid the COVID-19 pandemic; at the time of the League’s premature suspension, PSG were in first place, with a twelve–point lead over second–placed Marseille. Mbappé finished the 2019–20 season as joint-top scorer in Ligue 1 with 18 goals, along with Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder. However, Mbappé was assigned the title of top scorer due to his superior goals per game ratio. On 24 July, in the 2020 Coupe de France Final against Saint-Étienne, Mbappé was forced off after sustaining an injury following a challenge from Loïc Perrin, who was sent off; PSG won the match 1–0, although Mbappé was ruled out of the 2020 Coupe de la Ligue Final, which PSG went on to win, completing a domestic treble. He returned to action in the Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta on 12 August, coming on a substitute, and assisting Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s match–winning goal in injury time. PSG eventually lost out in the 2020 Champions League Final 1–0 to Bayern Munich on 23 August.
