Are PSG & Monaco’s millions good for French football?

There are clear advantages; France have only ever had one Champions League winner and only one finalist in the last twenty years – something that will surely change in the coming years. In recent times Ligue 1 has seen its best players constantly poached by the top European leagues, however suddenly the best and most highly sought after players are now coming to France with Radamal Falcao and Edinson Cavani being prime examples of this.

A two team dominance is not unusual in Europe, after all Real Madrid and Barcelona have been streets ahead of the rest in La Liga for years now and little has been made abouFt their dominance. Further to that El Clasico games have only grown in stature in recent times and the hope will be that the clashes between PSG and Monaco will attract millions to view worldwide, in the process raising the profile of the French game. Whether the revenue this brings to the league has any impact outside of PSG and Monaco though remains to be seen.

For the rest of Ligue 1 it is only naturally for them to look on with envy and frustration at the current situation. This a league that in recent years has been typified by its unpredictable nature – the last six titles have gone to different sides, something which no other top league in Europe can match. It is worth noting though that apart from PSG last year none of those six sides made any significant impact on the Champions League. Those who claim the millions of PSG and Monaco will make an uncompetitive league would do well to remember that between 2002 and 2008 Lyon won seven consecutive titles.

Lyon have been one of the most critical of their rivals new found wealth and you can hardly blame them given that the once dominant force are at the opposite end of the financial spectrum, looking to offload their most valuable assets rather than add to them. Defender Dejan Lovren has already been sold on, whilst the board are doing everything they can to move on Bafetimbi Gomis – not even selecting the French international in their squad. Michel Bastos having spent last season on loan at Schalke is another player they will be keen to get off the wage bill. The best Lyon can now hope for is third spot, whilst a failure to win their Champions League qualifier against Grasshoppers would have further devastating effects on their struggling finances.

Normally Marseille spending over £20 million on three players would be significant news in French football, yet these moves are likely to have little impact on things at the top. Aside from Marseille the top spenders thus far outside of PSG and Monaco are Toulouse who have spent just £3.6 million – highlighting that the rest of Ligue 1 is shopping in a market a million miles away from the big two. The claim that the best players are no longer leaving France also doesn’t wash with the other 18 clubs, with their prime assets now more so than ever being poached by the rest of Europe. It’s difficult to pinpoint a club who have not lost a couple of key players in recent years – for example Lille have seen their once successful title winning squad of 2011 now firmly dismantled, whilst Montpellier have experienced a similar situation following their 2012 victory. So with everyone else continuing to experience their strongest players leaving the gap between the big two and the rest is unfortunately only likely to rise – something which cannot be good for the division whichever way you look at it.

Some will suggest that the success of PSG and Monaco might attract further investors to Ligue 1 wanting in on the action, with there being more than enough prestigious clubs who present exciting propositions. That said for anyone to catch the top two huge investment would now be needed meaning that any further investment would be a huge risk and there is only room for so many billionaires in one league.

Unquestionably the rise of PSG and Monaco does bring significant positives to French football globally, however with the rest of the league struggling financially it is understandable why they are not as enthralled as those on the outside about this new dawn. The landscape is changing and only time will tell if this proves a positive or negative thing for the French game.