In L’Équipe, 32-year-old Tiémoué Bakayoko—a former AS Monaco midfielder who is currently a free agent—reflects on how opponents of Paris Saint-Germain now approach their European encounters. According to him, the club’s two consecutive Champions League titles have spread a sense of fear across Europe—a feeling that was previously confined mostly to Ligue 1.
Tiémoué Bakayoko: “When you get thrashed, fear sets in.”
“They used to inspire fear in Ligue 1, but now that they are European champions, that’s the case for every club. For a long time, teams thought it was easier to beat Paris than, say, Barcelona, Bayern, or Real Madrid, because the club lacked a deep history. There was, generally speaking, a lack of respect; opponents would take the pitch thinking it was ‘only’ Paris. That has all changed. When you get thrashed, fear sets in.”
The word that stings in Bakayoko’s comment is “only.” It speaks volumes about the automatic credibility afforded to Europe’s established giants. When a draw is announced, a team might feel they’ve dodged a bullet by landing Paris instead of Real Madrid or Bayern. But two consecutive Champions League titles provide good reason to reconsider that calculation.
On the pitch, this psychological edge can hinge on a seemingly routine decision. Do you send a full-back to press high if you’re already worried about what Paris might do in the space left behind? By holding back on such runs, you end up giving PSG the time they need to settle into the game. The fear of being thrashed can, in effect, help Paris orchestrate the very kind of match their opponent was hoping to avoid.
