The Athletic FC Podcast Can PSG win the Champions League again?
Mar 10, 2026
Carl Anka, football journalist known for tactical and contextual insight, and Tom Williams, match-reporting football reporter, dissect PSG’s wobble after winning Europe. They debate fatigue from extra fixtures, how injuries and rotation hurt PSG’s system, and whether Premier League intensity and surprising Ligue 1 challengers change the Champions League picture.
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PSG Have Fallen From Elite To Goodish
- PSG's current form is markedly worse than last season despite same coach and players.
- Tom Williams says injuries, fatigue and loss of the precise, high-intensity system have pushed them from elite to merely good-ish.
Club World Cup Left PSG Tired For New Season
- The Club World Cup and condensed schedule left PSG physically drained at the season start.
- Carl Anka argues that travel, short turnarounds and a small squad reduced their capacity to sustain last season's intensity.
Small Defensive Drops Hurt PSG's Edge
- Goalkeeper and defensive regression have chipped away at PSG's defensive edge.
- Carl notes replacing Donnarumma with Chevalier/Safanov and ageing Marquinhos and Hakimi's injury/Afcon absence cost around 5–10% each defensively.