Paris Saint-Germain have once again avoided dropping to the UEFA Europa League for the first time since the Qatar Sports Investments purchased the club. The French side finished second in Group F of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League, meaning it will play in the UCL knockout stages for the 12th straight year.
The last time PSG played in the Europa League came in the 2011-12 season, as they finished fourth in the Ligue 1 in the previous campaign. QSI acquired PSG in June 2011, with the team already qualified for the Europa League. But from 2012-13 onwards, the Parisians have always participated in the Champions League, making it to the knockout stages in every single edition.
The financial takeover happened in June 2011, and it immediately led to stellar signings at the Parc des Princes. Javier Pastore and Blaise Matuidi were the first big arrivals under the new administration, who went on to land the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi. Before that, PSG were a struggling team.
How Paris Saint-Germain fared in their last Europa League campaign
When PSG took part in the 2011-12 Europa League, things were much different in the French capital. While the club was getting used to the new ownership, there was still work to do to build a successful squad.
Mevlut Erdinc of Paris Saint Germain in action during the UEFA Europa League group J match between Sevilla and Paris Saint Germain at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on September 16, 2010 in Seville, Spain. Paris Saint Germain won the match 1-0.
Paris Saint-Germain managed to make the group stage by knocking out FC Differdange 03 in the qualifying rounds and were drawn against Athletic Club, Salzburg, and ŠK Slovan Bratislava in Group F.
PSG finished tied with Salzburg with 10 points each, but the Austrian side had the upper hand in results against PSG due to away goal advantage. It also had an advantage in goal differential (+3 compared to PSG’s +1). Therefore, Salzburg finished second and advanced along with group leaders Athletic Club.
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The French team also fell short in the race for the Ligue 1 title that year, but it’s come a long way since then. Even so, PSG’s lack of Champions League success remains an unfinished task in the QSI era at the club.
