Tournoi de Paris

Tournoi de Paris
Founded 1957
Number of teams 4
Current champions Spain Barcelona (1st title)
Most successful club(s) France PSG (7 titles)
Website Official website

The Tournoi de Paris is an annual two-day pre-season football tournament hosted by Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain and held at the Parc des Princes. From 1957 to 1976, the tournament was held late in the season. Since 1977, it is played before the start of the season. The tournament is the equivalent to the Amsterdam Tournament and the Emirates Cup held by Ajax and Arsenal, respectively.

PSG have played in the tournament every year since 1975 and are the all-time record-holders, having won the competition seven times. Belgian outfit Anderlecht have three titles and are the most successful team other than the hosts to appear in the tournament. The current champions are FC Barcelona, finishing first in the standings ahead of PSG in the 2012 edition.

The Tournoi de Paris involves four teams including current hosts, Paris Saint-Germain. The tournament consists of four matches played at the Parc des Princes. The matches take place over two or three days in July or August. From 1957 to 1993, the tournament was played in knockout format. Since 2010, the tournament uses the group-stage format. A victory results in three points; a draw in one; and a defeat in none. If two teams finish with the same number of points, they are separated by: the highest number of goals scored, the number of cards received, or the timing of their first goal scored.

History

The Tournoi de Paris was held in Paris from 1957 to 1993, where the host and three invited clubs played over two days at the Parc des Princes. From 1957 to 1966 RCF Paris was the organizer of the tournament and its inauguration took place between 11 and 14 July 1957 to celebrate the club's 25th anniversary. It featured then hosts, RCF Paris, as well as German side Rot-Weiss Essen, Brazilian club Vasco da Gama, and reigning Spanish and European champions Real Madrid. Vasco da Gama went on to win the tournament after beating Real Madrid in the final. It was well attended with thousands filling the Parc des Princes across the two-day event. The Tournoi de Paris kept going for ten more seasons until 1966, when RCF Paris was administratively relegated to the second division due to their involvement in a financial crisis that engulfed the French game in the mid-1960s.

In an effort to relaunch professional football in Paris, Paris FC was founded in 1969. The objective of the club was to be playing first division football by 1970. An attempted merger with CS Sedan was refused and Paris FC finally merged with the Stade Saint-Germain to create Paris Saint-Germain Football Club. In 1972, the two clubs went separate ways after pressure from the Mayor's office which refused to support a non-Paris team. Finally after the bitter split, Paris FC kept their first division status and all the professional players while PSG were relegated to the third division with all the amateur players. During the 1973-74 pre-season, Paris FC took over the 1973 edition of the Tournoi de Paris, the only one they organized. The following season, PSG gained promotion to the first division while Paris FC suffered relegation. A year later, in 1975, Paris Saint-Germain took over the tournament and invited Spanish side Valencia, Brazilian club Fluminense, and Portuguese outfit Sporting CP. Valencia went on to win the tournament after narrowly beating PSG in the final. In 1993, after an uninterrupted 18-year spell, the Tournoi de Paris was abandoned by Canal +, PSG's new shareholders, because of the club's financial deficit. During this period, Paris Saint-Germain won the tournament seven times, becoming the club with most titles.

On 24 December 2009, PSG President Robin Leproux announced his intentions of reviving the Tournoi de Paris for July 2010 on the occasion of the club's 40th anniversary. With the development of products and audiovisual projects these activities will inject around 15 to 20 million euros to the club.[1] On 3 May 2010, the Tournoi de Paris was confirmed for the month of July.[2] After 17 years of absence, France's most prestigious tournament was back at the Parc des Princes. The Tournoi de Paris was first held in 1957 and the 2010 edition celebrated its 30th anniversary. Between 1975 and 1993, Paris Saint-Germain won the tournament seven times, becoming the club with most titles. In 1993, after an uninterrupted 18-year spell, the tournament was abandoned by Canal +, PSG's new shareholders, because of the club's financial deficit. The last champions were PSG defeating Auxerre in the 1993 edition final.[3] The 2010 edition took place between 31 July and 1 August, with Italian side Roma, replacing Juventus,[4] Portuguese club Porto and French outfit Girondins de Bordeaux visiting the Parc des Princes as PSG decided to resurrect the Tournoi de Paris for their 40th birthday.[5] On the occasion of the Tournoi de Paris, PSG presented their official anthem and mascot. The lyrics of "Go West" were rewritten following the suggestions made by the fans in PSG's website and was released as the official anthem before every match at the Parc des Princes. Meanwhile, Germain, a lynx, was presented as the new mascot of PSG.[6]

After a draw between Bordeaux and Roma, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Porto in a match punctuated by the numerous chances created by both sides. The French capital won in extremis against the Portuguese thanks to a goal from Sammy Traoré at the end of regular time and took the first place in the standings.[7] Just like against Porto, "Les Parisiens" made the difference at the end of the encounter as Guillaume Hoarau equalized Roma's lead deep in stoppage time and allowed PSG to finish off their pre-season without having lost a single match.[8] PSG's goal angered Roma's players who surrounded French referee Stéphane Lannoy. Roma coach Claudio Ranieri also walked onto the field to complain that too much injury time had been played when Hoarau scored. Earlier, Michaël Ciani scored off a free kick as Bordeaux came from behind against Porto to win the Tournoi de Paris with four points - the same total as PSG but "Les Girondins" scored one more goal.[9]

All-time results

As of 1 August 2010.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Le Paris SG va relancer le Tournoi de Paris en juillet". Le Point. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  2. ↑ "Tournoi de Paris le 31 juillet". Sport24. 3 May 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  3. ↑ "Anecdotes autour du Tournoi de Paris". PSG.fr. 12 July 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  4. ↑ "La Juve renonce". Goal.com. 29 May 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  5. ↑ "Tournoi de Paris: derniers galops d'essai pour Bordeaux et le PSG". France 24. 31 July 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  6. ↑ "Le PSG prend un nouveau virage". PSG.fr. 23 July 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  7. ↑ "PSG-Porto : 1-0 (0-0)". PSG.fr. 31 July 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  8. ↑ "PSG-Roma: 1-1 (0-0)". PSG.fr. 1 August 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  9. ↑ "Bordeaux beats Porto 2-1, wins Paris Tournament". Taipei Times. 1 August 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  10. ↑ "Tournoi International de Paris 1957-1993 (Paris-France)". RSSSF. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  11. ↑ Merger between RC Paris and Sedan gave birth to the RC Paris-Sedan.
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