In 2011, Qatar Sports Investments purchased Paris Saint-Germain with two main intentions: to make the capital club a domestic force and a major contender on the European stage. During the 2012/2013 season, Les Parisiens began their ascent to the pinnacle of French football by clinching their first Ligue 1 title since 1994 under the guidance of then-coach Carlo Ancelotti and led by Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
And since then, they have not looked back. Two more consecutive domestic titles have followed, and with a whopping 24 point lead over second placed Monaco, PSG are well on course to make it a fourth straight Ligue 1 crown this May. Whilst they have some way to go to match the seven earned by Lyon between 2002 and 2008, the way things are going, one will not want to bet against them achieving this in the not too distant future.
However, for all their domestic success, the second part of their goal - becoming a serious player on the European stage - has eluded them. For the past three seasons, Les Parisiens have featured in the Champions League, only to be knocked out at the quarter-finals stage by Chelsea and Barcelona (on two occasions).
To that end, the club's cash-rich owners have continually attempted to upgrade the squad by adding players like young talent Marco Verratti and experienced striker Edinson Cavani, but this past summer, they finally added the piece they had been awaiting since the summer of 2014: Argentinian star Angel Di Maria.
Due to Financial Fair Play, Les Parsiens were unable to sign the Champions League winner and World Cup finalist and had to sit by and watch him swap Real Madrid for Manchester United. For the player, his move to the Theatre of Dreams quickly became one of nightmares, and after one disappointing seasons in a Red Devils kit, the reunion both player and club had been looking forward to finally happened this summer.
The Di Maria-PSG partnership has been like a marriage made in heaven for both the player and the club so far this season
Upon his arrival, both current PSG coach Laurent Blanc and president Nasser al-Khelaifi enthused that, in essence, they had finally added the missing element needed to win the coveted Champions League trophy. From marking his debut with a brilliant assist to clinching all three points in Le Classique with a brilliant solo effort against Marseille, Di Maria has now returned to the same player that saw him play an integral role in Real Madrid ending their long wait for their 10th Champions League trophy in 2013.
Although he was unable to inspire his current side to a win over his former club during this season's Champions League group stages - which so happens to be the only defeat for PSG in all competitions this term - Di Maria's contributions, which have seen him pick up ten assists and 12 goals (nine in the league and three in the UCL) have helped elevate the team as a whole, and it is no surprise that upcoming opponents Chelsea have singled him out as one of the biggest threats for Les Parisiens in their mouth-watering two-legged tie in this season's round of 16.
Still, there are the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona who are heavily viewed as favorites to clinch the European crown this season, and PSG have spent the past three seasons trying to insert themselves into that upper tier of sides mentioned as "the teams to beat" each and every campaign. Given Chelsea's poor form this term, coupled with their own excellent one, they are viewed as having the upper hand to progress to the quarter-finals, which has repeatedly been their stumbling block.
With Di Maria now in the side, the question is: Can he become that "X-factor" they so desperately need to overcome that hurdle that has hindered them for the past three years? If his performances so far since his arrival in Paris are any indication, the answer is a resounding yes, but he will have to start by putting in an inspired performance against Chelsea this evening.
Should he manage to do so and Les Parisiens arrive in the quarter-finals, they just might have what it takes to make it through - and then after that, anything truly is possible, including finding themselves featuring in 2015/2016 Champions League final at the Stadio San Siro in a few months' time. And even if they are unable to defeat a heavy favorite like Bayern or Barcelona (provided that they do not meet them earlier), they certainly will have come a long way and made serious progress towards establishing themselves as one of the elite sides in Europe.
