History in the making
Ahead of their Champions League encounter, Celtic manager Brendan Rogers took aim at Paris Saint-Germain, saying: "You can't buy history". And while that sentiment remains true, Neymar and co. showed with a 7-1 demolition of the storied Scottish Club that although they cannot buy history, they are most certainly capable of creating it.
Le Parisiens created history with their biggest ever win in Europe. They created history in the pages of European football by breaking the most number of goals scored in the Champions League group stages; that too with one game to go.
Celtic stunned the Parc des Princes when they netted in the very first minute. But the celebrations were short-lived upon realisation that all they had really done was poke the bear. Led by world-record signing Neymar, who cost more than every signing in Celtic's 129 year history combined, the hosts romped back and hit seven to humiliate the most dominant side in Scottish football.
Meanwhile, Celtic are still creating history in their own league. The 48-time Scottish League winners recently set a British domestic record of 63 games unbeaten but they are on the verge of exiting the Champions League this season after failing to make it into the tournament in the past two years. Their only glory in Europe's elite competition came in the 1966-67 season; history indeed.
Still, Rodgers statements on buying history do stand and he backed them with sound logic. If history is perceived in a non-literal sense, then it is not simply about what happened in the past but of having long stories to tell and traditions to maintain. What it all boils down to is legacy and PSG, despite having six league titles and a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup -- making them one of only two French clubs to win a European cup -- certainly cannot compare with the cream of the crop.
Yet, at the rate that PSG are going, it seems just a matter of time. Four of their six league titles have come since 2012, a period which has also seen them claim six league cups and make forays into the latter stages of the Champions League, including twice reaching the semifinals.
Even if PSG were not to get any success in the Champions League, they are capable of winning every league title for the foreseeable future. They have arguably the most exciting front three in the world at the moment.
Whether it was down to being located in the untapped yet highly lucrative football market in Paris that led to the initial investment from Qatar Sports Investments, when the history books are written this side will be remembered fondly, and given more time perhaps remembered as the most dominant team in French football's history.
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