Paris is perhaps the most productive city for player development in the world. But could you beat one of the richest, most global clubs in football using only players from the City of Lights? Martin Vert has been set that challenge.
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We head into the final two games of the season with everything sorted, which is a nice feeling. It’s a farewell victory tour for a lot of the players, whose contracts are coming to an end and, because they were born outside Paris, cannot be offered extensions. We’ll need a big overhaul in the summer, but as the squad starts to fill up with Parisians the challenge can really begin. We have already secured the signings of a couple of promising replacements, with more in the pipeline.
Not that the games are completely meaningless. US Avranches took a point when they visited the Stade Bauer, but they’ll need to go one better to keep their playoff hopes alive. We aren’t about to do anybody any favours, and I want a strong finish to send us into next season. We’ll go with our strongest side.
It’s a really good performance, and Avranches can’t get near us. We dominate the first half without finding the target, but they are increasingly desperate and when I bring Ba on we take it to another level. He turns home a rebound, and it would be enough, but in injury time he adds two more to complete his first hat trick for the club.
You’ve got to admire those Boulogne fans. They have already been relegated, they have nothing to play for, and they have conceded goals for fun. And yet a gaggle of them have still travelled for the final game of the season. We are in party mode, there’s a good feeling around the stadium and the sun is blazing overhead. We want to sign off well, and put them to the sword. But that gaggle of fans have made the journey anyway. Good on them. One more point will give us the record, but why not take all three, eh?
The first half seems almost cruel on the visitors, as we let loose and score for fun. Le Corre nabs two goals to ensure I keep him in mind going into the new season, and Sparagna scores from a corner. Mayoro Ndoye’s drive from the edge of the box is the perfect way for him to sign off his Red Star career, he’ll be missed. We continue to create in the second half, but can’t add to our tally.
Champagne corks pop, fans celebrate, the board head on to the pitch to enjoy the acclaim. Patrice greets me in the centre circle with a giant bear hug, and David is patting me on the back so hard I almost choke on the bubbly they have thrust into my hand. I get to give Ludovic Butelle and Damien Durand that they have been voted Players of the Season. I, incidentally, was robbed for the Manager of the Season award. Ludovic tells me that he has decided to retire at the end of the season, and it’s a brilliant way to finish a long career. 8km away the Parc des Princes hosts muted celebrations as PSG win another title in emphatic fashion, but they have failed in the Champions League again, so they don’t consider it a success. We are one step closer to them now. We’re coming for them.
I wander back to my office as the celebrations die down. Most head off to continue partying, but as the famous football philosopher Sean Dyche once said, you can only enjoy promotion for a moment before you have to plan for the challenge of a new division. There is a lot of recruitment to do. I’m surprised to find Steve standing in the doorway.
He stands there for a moment, hesitating, then offers his hand. I take it, and he pulls me in close, something like a hug, so he can whisper in my ear.
“Enjoy this. You won’t get another chance. Ligue 2 is tough. And as soon as results go the other way, I’m getting you out.”
I hate Steve.
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