PSG starts Champions League without a galactico but seemingly better equipped to succeed

For more than a decade, Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari owners have spent lavishly to attract big stars.

Their goal was to make the club profitable, to erase the amateurish image of a side often associated with hooligans, and to build a competitive team capable of winning the Champions League.

With unprecedented revenues surpassing 800 million euros ($890 million) for the first time last year, they have managed to build solid growth.

They also succeeded in ridding their stadium of the violence that often made the atmosphere at the Parc des Princes so tense and hostile.

And they also managed to bring the biggest names in the game to Paris. The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé at times offered a glimpse of the possibility of winning Europe’s biggest tournament.

But the Champions League crown remained a distant dream.

The superstars have all now left the Parc des Princes, and it might sound paradoxical, but the club may be better equipped in its quest for continental glory.

“The coach is leading us more and more towards his philosophy, it’s more and more a soccer based on a collective philosophy. We’re moving in that direction,” PSG captain Marquinhos said on Tuesday. “Even if there are not any big names or stars, we are ready to go for big achievements.”

Following the exits of Messi to Inter Miami and Neymar to Saudi Arabia team Al-Hilal in previous years, the departure of Mbappé to Real Madrid this summer marked the end of an era at PSG, where relying on the individual skills of star players and splashing money have been the norm since the 2011 Qatari takeover.

The big hole left by Mbappé was not filled by yet another superstar.

Instead, coach Luis Enrique insisted on moulding what he had. Enrique's project makes sense: Mbappé can't be duplicated but he could be replaced by a handful of attacking players capable of scoring as much, or more, than the France captain did.

“To me, this is the continuation of last season,” said Enrique, who has used 21 players in four French league games so far. "We are a young team, that is true. But we are full of desire and hunger, which is a wonderful thing. I’m so lucky to have this sort of squad.”

Enrique asked for the recruitment of less known but excellent players in every sector to create competition and have second options at every position. It could be even more crucial this season as the Champions League's new format will see more teams playing more games. PSG starts on Wednesday against Spanish side Girona.

PSG signed goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, highly rated defender Willian Pacho and promising midfielder João Neves, as well as winger Désiré Doué. Pacho was impressive at Eintracht Frankfurt while the versatile Neves has already earned 11 caps with Portugal at the age of 19.

Pacho and Neves have quickly gelled with the team and the new-look PSG has delivered immediately. They have won their first four matches to top the Ligue 1 standings.

“PSG is way stronger collectively than last year, everybody runs and defends,” Brest coach Eric Roy said after his side lost to the French titleholder 3-1 over the weekend. “Especially when they lose the ball, they put a lot of pressure.”

The biggest question mark going into the season was PSG’s ability to maintain a potent attack without its best player. With two quick and powerful players on the wings — Ousmane Dembélé and Badley Barcola — partnering Marco Asensio in a false No. 9 role, PSG seems to have found the right answer.

The team has scored 16 goals, conceding just three, and boasts the best goal difference after four Ligue matches since Reims in 1952. Only Marseille forward Mason Greenwood has more goals than Barcola and Dembélé, while João Neves leads the league with three assists.

But for all of PSG’s dominance of the French league — winning it in 10 of the last 12 seasons — it has reached just one Champions League final since being bought by Qatar Sports Investments. No surprise Enrique does not want to get carried away.

Asked about the perceived improvement, he said, “We will see at the end of the season what the team has achieved."

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Samuel Petrequin, The Associated Press