There it’s finished. After the elimination of OM in the semi-final of the Europa League (C3) this Thursday evening in Bergamo (3-0), which follows the failure of PSG in front of Dortmund (0-1) at the same stage in the League of champions (C1) on Tuesday evening, French football will not have a representative in the final of any European Cup this season, just like the previous one.
It is therefore as a simple football fan that the Frenchman will stand in front of his TV on May 22 to follow the C3 final in Budapest, then on May 29 for the Europa Conference League (C4) final in Athens and finally the June 1 for the C1 final, Real Madrid-Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
The observation is a little sad, but the French teams and followers seem to be resigned to the fact that a European final is an exceptional event.
Thus, the last thrill aroused by the presence of a French club in a grand final dates back almost four years, with this PSG-Bayern (0-1, goal from Coman), in the very special context of the “Final 8” of C1 organized at the single site in Lisbon in August 2020, due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
Three chances in ten to convert a semi into the final
Before Lisbon, it was OM who had a feast by slipping into the final of the C3 2018 to submit to the law of Atlético de Madrid (0-3, double from Griezmann), at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon.
For the rest, the previous occurrences of French finals date back 20 years, with the simultaneous defeats in 2004 of Monaco before Porto 3-0 in C1 in Gelsenkirchen, and of Marseille in C3 before Valencia 2-0 in Gothenburg.
Without going back to the European Fairgrounds Cup, but only up to the year 2000, it appears that the last four of continental competitions constitute a glass ceiling almost impossible to break for any French team whatever it may be. and whatever competition it may be.
Since 2000, the thirteen French appearances in a semi-final – all competitions combined, C1, C3 and C4 since 2022 – have resulted in only four finals.
That’s a success rate of around 30%, or three chances in ten of converting a semi into the final. Which turns out to be precisely PSG’s success rate in recent seasons, with three recent halves, 2020 against RB Leipzig, 2021 against Manchester United and 2024, for only one validated final…
A lack of winning culture?
But PSG and its ecosystem aside, the traditional representatives, OM, OL and Monaco, have generally shrunk on the European scene. Does this correlate with the decline of said teams within Ligue 1 itself, where values have tightened?
And then, in addition to participation in the Champions League, which is highly profitable and highly coveted, are these clubs driven by a culture of winning strong enough to hunt down “secondary” European trophies, like their Spanish counterparts? German or Italian?
Finally, do French clubs, somewhat penalized by declining TV rights and in-house taxation, still have the means to attract and/or retain major foreign players likely to help them advance in the Coupe d? ‘Europe? While waiting for next season, all you have to do is watch and ponder.
