Posts by Ricardo Bernard
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Arsenal at the Crossroads
Sometimes a manager loses it and reaches a point where he must admit that perhaps the game has passed him by. Like a golfer who suddenly gets the yips he must accept that, whatever it was that made him capable of doing the things he once did, it ain’t in him no more. None of […]
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Meet the New Chelsea
Nineteen minutes into Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Arsenal earlier this season, Eden Hazard had already suffered five fouls. The Belgian attacking midfielder was giving the Arsenal defenders fits because it wasn’t clear if Hazard was playing on the left wing, the right wing, or as a deep-lying playmaker. The truth is, he was playing all […]
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Paris Is Rising: Among Les Thugs
Yesterday when I, along with about 100 other Paris Saint-Germain fans, landed in Marseille, the welcome wagon arrived in the form of police officers dressed in riot gear ready to escort us to PSG’s clash with Marseille at the Stade Velodrome. Tensions between the teams run high, and when I asked the man next to […]
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The Porto Affair: Planes, Pains, and Bureaucracy in the Champions League
The story of how I ended up watching Paris Saint-Germain’s 1-0 loss to Porto via streaming video on my laptop really is a debacle for the ages and a cautionary tale for PSG on the limits to which it can overcharge its fans for the services it provides. Early last week the club announced in […]
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Paris Is Rising: The PSG War Machine
Three games into the Ligue 1 season, things looked bleak for Paris Saint-Germain. The team was winless and sitting in 13th place in the table. It all seemed a long way from the preseason hype and the expectation that the team backed by Qatari billions would dominate this season. If anything, they looked likely to […]
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Paris Is Rising: The Magic of the Champions League
The singing continued into the streets surrounding Parc des Princes last night long after the match ended. As fans exited the stadium the chants of “Allez Paris!” and “Paris est Magique!” were heard just as loudly as they were in the stadium. Down Rue du Sergent Maginot they went singing in reverie and into the […]
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AC Milan in the Age of Financial Fair Play
Earlier this summer, a group of AC Milan fans gathered for a vigil outside the club’s headquarters near via Turati in the center of Milan. They came with flowers and candles and recited prayers. At the end, they laid their beloved club to rest. The banner outside read, “AC Milan, December 16, 1899–July 22, 2012.” […]
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Paris Is Rising: Marco Verratti’s Giant Steps
The last time we checked in with Paris Saint-Germain they drew their third consecutive match of the season and were sitting 13th in the Ligue 1 table. Showing just how fickle I was, I went home after the 0-0 draw with Bordeaux and canceled my trip to Lille. That was a mistake. Against Lille, PSG […]
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Paris Is Rising: Have a Nice Bordeaux With That
Three matches into the Ligue 1 season and the expensively assembled juggernaut that is Paris Saint-Germain is still undefeated. The team hasn’t conceded a goal in two and a half matches, and for the second consecutive week their opponents barely had a shot on target. The chance of an undefeated season is still on. PSG […]
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Paris Is Rising: Early-Season Issues for PSG
After all the preseason hype, let’s put away the anointing oil and look at Paris Saint-Germain for what they really are: an overrated and complacent team of underachievers. An overpriced vanity project. A rich man’s plaything. Before a ball was kicked, they were handed the Ligue 1 title. We should give a trophy for second […]
