The world of football is accustomed to Paris Saint-Germain’s dominance. For years, the question in Ligue 1 hasn’t been if PSG would win the title, but when they would clinch it. After all, this is a club that captured four straight league trophies and 11 of the last 13. Just last season, they were arguably the most dominant force in Europe, sweeping the domestic treble and lifting the Champions League trophy.
Now, that expectation has been shattered.
The team with a roster that rivals any on the planet is currently sitting in second place. They have already dropped points in nearly 40% of their matches, recording two losses and three draws in just 14 games. The automatic coronation has been postponed, and the question is no longer academic: What has gone so dramatically wrong at the Parc des Princes?
The Three-Front Assault: Why the Foundations Are Shaking
The crisis gripping the club is not due to a single failure, but a perfect storm created by internal wear-and-tear and external pressure.
1. The Ghost of Success: Crippling Fatigue
The first and most punishing factor is simply exhaustion. Success often comes at a physical cost, and PSG paid dearly for their triumphs. The squad endured a relentless 59 games across all competitions last year. Critically, this was immediately followed by another seven matches in the grueling Club World Cup final.
There was no true summer. With only a month between the Club World Cup final and the Super Cup de France, the players were forced to squeeze pre-season training into an impossible window. They are running on fumes. The weariness has translated directly into dropped points, confirming that the cost of success is now affecting their baseline performance.
2. The Calculated Risk: Managerial Priorities
Manager Luis Enrique recognizes the fatigue issue, but his solution is creating a different kind of problem in the league. He is rotating his key players heavily in Ligue 1, clearly signaling that Europe is the priority this season.
Key figures like Nuno Mendes, Bradley Barcola, and Willian Pacho have played barely half of the possible Ligue 1 minutes, yet have each been utilized for over 80% of possible Champions League minutes. Enrique is operating under the assumption that the domestic league can absorb a dropped point or two. However, that calculated risk has backfired.
3. A League That Finally Fights Back
The final piece of the puzzle is the most compelling: Ligue 1 is simply better than it has been in years. This season is not the usual French league walkover.
Right now, the top of the table is incredibly tight. PSG sits on 30 points, just one point behind the new leaders, Lens, with 31. Marseille, despite its own issues, is breathing down PSG’s neck in third with 29. The gap between first and third is a mere two points. Furthermore, mid-table clubs like Monaco have shown they are perfectly capable of taking points from the champions.
The days of automatic wins are over.
The Stakes: Is the Door Open?
PSG remains, on paper, the most talented team in France by a wide margin. They still possess the depth required to weather the storm and rotate appropriately. But for the first time in years, the long march to the title is no longer a certainty.
The pressure is intense. The question for the season is legitimate: Has the door truly been opened for another club to snatch the Ligue 1 title, ending one of football’s great modern dynasties?