Paris-Saint Germain players celebrate their victory over Olympique Lyon and the Ligue 1 title at the Stade Gerland in Lyon, on Sunday. Right: Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi celebrates the club’s first French Ligue 1 title in 19 years in Lyon on Sunday.

Reuters/Paris

Paris St Germain clinched their first championship in 19 years on Sunday with a 1-0 win at Olympique Lyon that put them seven points clear of second-placed Olympique Marseille in Ligue 1 with two games left.

Jeremy Menez scored the decisive goal in the 53rd minute for Carlo Ancelotti’s side as the wealthy Qatari-backed club secured their third league title.

They were last crowned champions in 1994, eight years after winning their first title under Gerard Houllier.

“We’ve been living something outstanding, 19 years after the last title. Long live Paris!,” centre back Mamadou Sakho, a Paris-born player, told TV broadcaster Canal Plus.

PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has yet to confirm if he will stay at the club next term, added: “I’m very pleased because we have worked very hard this season. We wrapped it up against a good team. We deserved it and it’s time to celebrate.”

“I’m very happy to have won the title here in France,” added the Italian, who has already won Serie A with AC Milan in 2004 and the English Premier League at Chelsea in 2010 as well as two Champions League titles with the Italian club. 

PSG’s victory gave rivals Marseille automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League group stage by leaving them with a seven-point lead over third-placed Lyon, who have 63.

Lyon are in the final Champions League qualifying spot just three points ahead of fourth-placed Lille, who beat Stade Reims 3-0 on Friday, and Nice, who are fifth but were thrashed 4-0 at relegation-threatened Evian Thonon Gaillard earlier on Sunday.

That result sent bottom-club Brest into the second division by moving Evian seven points ahead of them and two points above the drop zone.

St Etienne, the last side in the running for third place, slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Lorient, their first of the year in the league, leaving them stuck on 59 points in sixth.

 

Solid PSG

PSG, who failed to beat surprise challengers Montpellier to the title last season and have showed signs of nerves in the last two games, collecting a total of four red cards, proved far more solid this time to seal the title at Lyon.

The hosts got their first opportunity after two minutes but Bafetimbi Gomis’s header was brilliantly saved by Nicolas Douchez, who was replacing the suspended Salvatore Sirigu.

PSG’s Ligue 1 leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has 27 league goals this season, almost hit back two minutes later but his effort was cleared off the line by fullback Mahamadou Dabo.

Both sides struggled to create chances in a game played at high intensity. Menez was closest to breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute but Anthony Lopes saved his close-range effort.

However, the home keeper was helpless after the interval when the France forward was clear in the area following a lightning counter-attack and scored with a powerful strike.

After that PSG kept possession to stop Lyon equalising and, with David Beckham coming on in added time as they ran down the clock, held on to secure the victory that will see them collect the league trophy on Monday at the picturesque Trocadero place.

 

All about PSG

PSG were created in 1970 when Paris and the club of wealthy suburb Saint-Germain merged to form a second division side. They eventually became a professional club in 1974 under the presidency of fashion designer Daniel Hechter.

PSG established themselves as a force in the top flight in the early 1980s and lifted the French Cup in 1982 for their maiden trophy. They retained the Cup the following season and won their first league crown in 1986 under Gerard Houllier.

Aiming to make them a strong rival to dominant Olympique Marseille, television network Canal Plus, then the French league’s exclusive broadcaster, bought the club in 1991. They spent big money to develop the squad by attracting leading France players Bernard Lama and David Ginola, as well as Brazil internationals Ricardo, Valdo and Rai. It paid off with a second league title in 1994, a French Cup the next season and in 1996 the Cup Winners’ Cup which they failed to retain when they lost in the final to Barcelona.  

Marred by instability and poor signings and management mistakes, PSG then struggled to stay on top in French soccer despite being one of the country’s richest clubs, with only two top three league finishes between 1998 and 2011.

Qatari sovereign fund QSI bought the club in 2011 and spent more than 200 million euros on transfers within a year to attract the likes of Brazilian Thiago Silva and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to unfancied Ligue 1.

After failing to beat unheralded Montpellier to the title last season, despite putting experienced Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti in charge in January, they finally clinched their third Ligue 1 title on Sunday with two games to spare.