Paris FC Promoted To Ligue 1 Following High-Profile Takeover

‎Six months after a joint takeover involving Europe’s richest man and Red Bull, Paris FC secured a 1-1 draw at Martigues.

‎This result sealed their promotion to Ligue 1. It marks the first time in 35 years that Paris will have two teams in France’s top division.

‎Along the Mediterranean coast in Martigues, Paris FC secured an immediate return for Bernard Arnault, Europe’s richest man and founder of LVMH.

‎Pierre-Yves Hamel scored to give Paris FC a 49th-minute lead. Martigues equalized ten minutes later from a corner kick.

‎With third-placed Metz held 3-3 at home by Rodez, Paris is sure of second place in Ligue 2 with one round of games to play.

‎They’re two points behind division leaders Lorient and could take first place when they host Ajaccio in their final game.

‎Ambitious project

‎The Arnault family took a majority stake in the club, last November, with his eldest son Antoine saying they wanted to turn the historically small club into a force.

‎”It is an ambitious project but not an unrealistic one,” Antoine Arnault said.

‎Red Bull, the Austrian energy drink company with stakes in clubs across Austria, Germany, the United States, Brazil, Japan, and England, and with Jurgen Klopp serving as a consultant, acquired just over 10 percent as minority partners.

‎Paris FC have been playing on the south edge of Paris at Charlety.

‎The university arena has an athletics track and “is a stadium where you cannot create an atmosphere,” said Klopp when he visited. “It has been a long time since I watched a game from that far away.

‎The Ligue 1 rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain, France’s billionaire club known for their blue kits and the Eiffel Tower on their crest, will intensify. This will happen as Paris FC moves in as their next-door neighbor.

‎Paris FC plans to relocate to Stade Jean-Bouin, a 19,600-capacity rugby ground that is across the street from Parc de Princes, home to Paris-Saint Germain, on the west edge of the city.

‎Ten years ago, the ground was briefly the unhappy home to an earthier team from the Paris suburbs, Red Star.

‎While setting themselves up literally in PSG’s backyard might seem provocative, Antoine Arnault is typically smooth about positioning.

‎”You will never hear me say anything negative about PSG,” he said.

‎Instead, he said, they want to tap the Paris region’s rich seam of young footballing talent.

‎”We want to build a team where we will have five, six, seven or even eight players who have come through the youth academy,” said Antoine, whose brothers and elder sister, Delphine, are also involved.