PSG are very much a big fish in a small pond. A fish which wasn’t always the biggest fish in the pond, but ate all the fish food and is now proudly swimming around banging into others aggressively.
You get the drift.
When PSG were knocked out of the Champions League earlier this year by Manchester City, there seemed to be genuine shock in France. Many have convinced themselves that PSG are far better, and bigger, than they actually are.
It was a huge show of faith and of the standing of Chelsea as a football club. Off the back of a dreadful season, and with it being unclear how Antonio Conte would do, the deal was welcome.
PSG, however, were left perturbed, not understanding why brands aren’t falling over themselves to throw huge sums their way. L’Equipe explain that Nasser al-Khelaïfi, shocked by the Chelsea deal, ordered his PSG officials to get an equivalent deal.
PSG signed with Nike in 2014, in a deal with runs until 2022, but the Chelsea agreement has changed everything. L’Equipe aren’t so sure Nike will happily renegotiate an existing deal, pointing out there wasn’t much competition when the deal was agreed.
They quote a source close to the situation as saying: “PSG should not forget the international reputation of Chelsea, which plays in the Premier League, a championship broadcast around the world.”
Roman Abramovich and Chelsea got a great Nike deal, which will help Antonio Conte add to his squad in future windows, PSG may not be quite as big a fish as they think.
