4 April 1998 - This Cup Runneth Over

On 4 April 1998, Paris Saint-Germain won their second Coupe de la Ligue, beating Bordeaux on penalties, 2-2 (4-2). It was the third straight final to go to a shootout.

The teams met before a crowd of 77,700 at the Stade de France, Bordeaux started as the stronger side, with midfielder Johan Mocoud sending one shot off the post before burying a strike in the 30th minute. But the momentum shifted in PSG's favor by the end of the half, with one near miss and one shot cleared off the line.

The Parisians finally drew level in the 80th minute, after a missed penalty rebounded to forward Marco Simone, who fired the ball into the net. A few minutes later, Simone nearly put PSG ahead, but his shot hit the bar. They did take the lead in extra time thanks to a header from their captain, Raí (pictured) (107'), but Bordeaux's Jean-Pierre Papin restored equality seven minutes later with a goal from a free kick.

In the shootout, Bordeaux fell behind early, as PSG goalkeeper Vincent Fernandez blocked their first attempt, then Papin sent their second attempt wide. PSG, meanwhile, converted their first four, which was enough to secure the cup without the need for a fifth kick.

15 March 2009 - The City Of Fights (Again)

On 15 March 2009, Marseille ended PSG's seven-game unbeaten streak and cost them the top spot. And that wasn't the worst of it.

PSG had won six of their previous seven matches to climb from sixth to second in the table. A victory over Marseille would have sent them into first over Lyon. But despite having won 2-4 at Marseille back in October, the rematch proved to be more difficult.

Playing before a crowd of almost 45,000 at the Parc des Princes, the visitors had a couple of close chances in the first five minutes and finally went ahead in the 24th minute with a goal from their Dutch midfielder Bolo Zenden (pictured). PSG's Ludovic Giuly equalized two minutes before the break, but the second half belonged to Marseille.

Shortly after the restart, PSG went down to ten men after Zoumana Camara was ejected for a challenge on Zenden, then Marseille extended their lead with goals from Bakari Kone (55') and Lorik Cana (61') to claim the 1-3 win. The real excitement came after the match, however, as clashes between the two supporters groups resulted in 22 arrests. It was the latest in a series of incidents in the rivalry dating back to April 1995, when 146 were arrested after a Coupe de France semifinal.

The loss dropped PSG back into sixth and sent Marseille up to second, which is where the teams finished the season.

20 January 2010 - Apparently, You Don't Need To Shoot To Score

On 20 January 2010, Monaco secured an away victory at PSG despite not having a single shot on goal.

Playing before a crowd of 36,000 at the Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain were suffering through a poor run of form that dropped them down into tenth place in the table after losing two of their last three in the league. They had also just been eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue by Ligue 2 side Guingamp. Monaco, meanwhile, had climbed to fifth after going unbeaten in their previous five league matches.

Still, PSG started as the stronger of the two teams on the day and had several early chances denied by the woodwork and a handful of fine saves from Monaco keeper Stephane Ruffier. Ruffier continued his excellent play in the second half to again deny a couple of PSG shots when disaster struck for the hosts. Monaco midfielder Eduardo Costa sent an innocuous cross into the box only to see it deflect into the goal off the leg of PSG keeper Apoula Edel. It turned out to be the only goal of he match.

By the final whistle, Monaco had managed to take 10 shots, but not a single one on goal. PSG, on the other hand, put nine of their 19 shots on frame, but all nine failed to get past Ruffier. But they got their revenge later that May, beating Monaco 1-0 in the Coupe de France Final.

12 August 1970 - Football Doesn't Come Easy In The City Of Lights

On 12 August 1970, two French clubs merged to form a new team. Known as Paris Saint-Germain, it is now the longest-tenured club in Ligue 1 and was the first French team to win a major European trophy.



The merger was the result of a push to bring a top-level club to the capital. At the time, no club from the city had won Division One since RC Paris did it in 1936 (and they were from the suburb of Colombes) and no team had even finished in the top half of the Division 1 table since RC Paris finished second in 1961. But RC Paris had since fallen out of the top-flight, leaving perennial strugglers Red Star FC as the city's only Division 1 club.



The proponents of a new team started by creating a shell club called Paris FC in 1969 and quickly started looking to flesh it out through a merger with another club. They eventually settled on Stade Saint-Germain, a club from a nearby suburb that had been founded in 1904 and had just won promotion to Division 2 for the 1970-71 season.



Taking Saint-Germain's league spot, the newly-combined PSG won promotion to Division 1 in their first season, but struggled to a 16th place finish in 1972. After that second season, tensions arose over the fact that the "Saint-Germain" in the team's name was not strictly part of the capital. The club split, with Paris FC splintering off and keeping the team's position in the top flight, while the still-named PSG assumed amateur status and dropped down to the third division. By 1974, however, PSG returned to Division 1 while Paris FC had fallen into Division 2. PSG have remained in the top flight ever since.



They took their first Division 1 title in 1986 and added another in 1994. They have also won the Coupe de France eight times and in 1996 won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with a 1-0 win over Rapid Wien.



After a fourth-place finish in 2011, PSG were purchased by a group of Qatari investors who have infused the club with money and ambition. They recently acquired high-profile players such as the midfield trio of Javier Pastore (€43m), Blaise Matuidi (€10m), and Jérémy Menez (€8m) and expect to challenge for the league title.

4 August 2001 - Ronaldinho Makes His French Connection

On 4 August 2001, young Brazilian star Ronaldinho made his first appearance for PSG after surprising the world with his decision to move to the Paris club.

The attacking midfielder began his career with Grêmio in 1998 and joined Brazil's national team one year later. As good as he was for his club (72 goals in 145 appearances), he attracted a great deal of attention for his international play in the 1999 Copa America and Confederations Cup tournaments. Clubs such as Arsenal, Lazio, Barcelona, and Milan tried to sign him, but he shocked them all by signing with PSG in January 2001, agreeing to a five-year contract worth £5 million. Those clubs weren't the only ones surprised; Grêmio's president claimed to have learned of the deal from PSG's website.

Ronaldinho's first appearance was modest; he came on as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with Auxerre. But in two seasons there, he scored 25 goals and provided 18 assists in 86 appearances and also won the 2001 Intertoto Cup.

After the 2002-03 season, Barcelona finally got their man, signing him for €30 million. Milan eventually got him, too, when he left Barcelona in 2008. In 2011, he returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo, his current club.

22 April 2000 - Gueugnon Gets The Goods

On 22 April 2000, FC Gueugnon became the first--and to date only--team outside the top flight to win the Coupe de la Ligue, beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-0.

Founded in 1940, Gueugnon spent their first forty years as an amateur club. They eventually turned professional in 1980, earning promotion to Division 1 in 1995, but were relegated after one season. In Division 2 for the 1999-2000 season, they faced only one Division 1 team on their way to the Coupe de la Ligue Final, beating Strasbourg 2-0 in the quarterfinals.

In the final, they faced two-time winner PSG (who would finish the year in Division 1's second place). Playing in Paris at the Stade de France, PSG were a heavy favorite, but were unable to crack Gueugnon's defense. The underdogs seemed to gain enthusiasm with every minute as they stifled PSG's attack and, in the 65th minute, a 25-yard blast from Gueugnon midfielder Nicolas Esceth-N'Zi fell at the feet of teammate Marcelo Trapasso, who tapped it in for the go-ahead goal.

Gueugnon doubled their lead in the 90th minute when Sylvain Flauto (pictured), who had come on as N'Zi's replacement, turned a cross into the net. The whistle blew shortly afterward.

The win proved to be costly to Gueugnon, as they lost several key players to bigger clubs, including defender Sylvain Distin, who left for Arsenal. Gueugnon currently sit at the bottom of France's third division, the Championnat National.

13 March 2001 - The City Of Fights

On 13 March 2001, Paris Saint-Germain and Galatasaray faced off in a Champions League match marred by violence in the stands.

The clubs were at the Parc des Princes for their second meeting of the tournament's second group stage, with the Turks having won the first meeting, 1-0. It was the group's last match day and Galatasaray were challenging for the top spot, while PSG were looking for their first win of the round.

They staked their claim early, with Brazilian international striker Christian giving them the lead in the third minute, then doubling it 24 minutes later. Frustrated by their team's performance, the traveling Galatasaray supporters began voicing their displeasure. Their words turned to actions in the second half, as they began ripping up seats and throwing them into the crowd. Fights erupted across the stadium and several bloodied supporters spilled out of the stands.

In the 59th minute, referee Vitor Manuel Pereira stopped play and directed the players to leave the pitch as officials debated whether to call the match off. But after a 20-minute intermission, they decided to continue and the match ended 2-0.

UEFA subsequently fined both clubs--£410,000 to PSG and £82,000 to Galatasaray--and also banned PSG from playing at the Parc des Princes for their next three European matches.


PSG-Galatasaray 13 mars 2001 by cimbomparis

28 January 2002 - Weah Has The Time Gone?

On 28 January 2002, former FIFA World Player of the Year George Weah ended his 19-year international career as Liberia bowed out of the African Cup of Nations.

Weah, considered my many to be the greatest player Africa has ever produced, was born in Monrovia in 1966. After starring for a handful of African sides, including Mighty Barolle, Invincible Eleven, Africa Sports, and Tonnerre Yaoundé, he joined the Liberian national team in 1988, the same year he moved to Europe to play for Arsène Wenger's Monaco side.

For the next 12 seasons, Weah established himself as one of the world's best strikers, playing for Monaco (1988-92), PSG (1992-95), and AC Milan (1995-2000). In 1995, he won a league and cup double with PSG, while taking them to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League as the tournament's top scorer. That year's performance earned him several individual awards, including the FIFA World Player of the Year, the Ballon d'Or, and his third African Footballer of the Year award (the previous two came in 1989 and 1994).

Despite his success at the club level, however, Weah never replicated it with Liberia. Like his namesake George Best, he is one of the most famous players never to appear at the World Cup--the closest he came was in 2002, when Liberia fell one point shy of qualification. His appearance on 28 January 2002 was his 60th for Liberia, who were eliminated from the Cup of Nations that day after falling to Nigeria, 0-1.

Weah retired in 2003 after playing for a series of different clubs including Chelsea (2000), Manchester City (2000), Marseille (2000-01), and Al-Jazira (2001-03). Afterward, he moved into politics, making an unsuccessful run for the Liberian presidency in 2005. He remains politically active, recently announcing his intention to stage another Presidential campaign in 2011.

21 March 1980 - So, "Little Ronaldinho" Would Be "Ronaldinhodinho"

On 21 March 1980, two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Better known as Ronaldinho Gaucho--or more simply, Ronaldinho (for "little Ronaldo")--he would go on to win league titles and the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona as well as a World Cup with Brazil.

Ronaldinho started his professional career with his hometown club, Grêmio, joining his older brother, Roberto, there in 1998. An attacking midfielder, Ronaldinho scored 21 league goals for Grêmio between 1998 and 2001 before moving to Paris-St. Germain in a transfer deal worth €5.1 million. He stayed with PSG for two relatively successful seasons, but his time there was marked by a rift with managerLuis Fernández, who criticized him of focusing more on his social life than his football.

During his time in Paris, Ronaldinho was part of the Brazil squad that won the 2002 World Cup - his first time on football's biggest stage. He provided the match-winner in Brazil's 2-1 win over England in the quarterfinals. He was sent off eight minutes later and missed the semifinal, but returned to start for Brazil in their 2-0 win over Germany in the Final.

In the summer of 2003, he transferred to Barcelona for €32,250,000. He would have his greatest success to date with the Catalan club, winning the 2004-05 and 2005-06 La Liga titles as well as the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. He collected a number of individual accolades during that period, including the 2004 and 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year Awards.

He left Barcelona in July 2008 for AC Milan, where he currently plays. Although he wore the number 10 for Barcelona, that number was already taken at Milan, so he now wears the number 80 to represent the year he was born.

6 July 2006 - Sometimes, A Bright Start Is Just A Flash In The Pan

On 6 July 2006, Rangers beat defending Irish Premier League champions Linfield FC by the score of 2-0 in a preseason friendly at Linfield's home ground of Windsor Park in Belfast.

The match was Rangers' first under new manager Paul Le Guen. A former star defender at Stade Brest, Nantes Atlantique, and PSG, he had previously managed Stade Rennais from 1998 to 2001 and had most recently spent three years at Lyon, from 2002 to 2005, where he led them to the Ligue 1 title each season. He resigned from Lyon on 9 May 2005 and spent the 2005-06 season out of football, despite offers from Benfica and Lazio.

Rangers tapped Le Guen in March 2006 to replace manager Alex McLeish for the 2006-07 season. Despite the win over Linfield and unabashed optimism from club chairman David Murray, who claimed Le Guen would bring a "massive moonbeam of success" to the Glasgow club, Le Guen's tenure was troubled from the beginning. Rangers earned only 15 points from their first 10 matches, including a home loss to Inverness CT, making it the worst debut for an Old Firm manager in almost 30 years.

Le Guen's situation worsened in November, when Rangers were eliminated from the Scottish Cup by First Division side St. Johnstone. It was the first time Rangers had been knocked out of a league tournament at home by a lower division side.

On 4 January 2007, with Rangers second in the table, but 17 points behind rivals Celtic, the club announced that Le Guen had resigned. He remains Rangers' shortest-serving manager and the only one to leave the club before completing a full season at the helm.