HOW many club sides could sell quality players such as George Weah, David Ginola and Brazilians Valdo and Ricardo Gomes and yet still continue to show the way both in Europe and their league? The question asks itself of current French league leaders, Paris St Germain, whose 2-0 home win against Lyon on Sunday saw them stretch their lead to five points with just seven games to play.
Last summer Paris St Germain (PSG) might have been expected to be well pleased with themselves, having just finished a season which saw them pick up both the French FA and League Cups, as well as finish third in the league behind Nantes. Yet, those cups were meagre consolation for a painful elimination by AC Milan at the semi final stage of the Champions Cup.
PSG opted to ring the changes, selling Weah to AC Milan, Ginola to Newcastle (both clubs are leading their championships), while Valdo and Gomes returned to Benfica. For a side not normally considered in the top flight of European clubs, the loss of such heavyweight talents could have proved catastrophic.
Curiously, PSG have changed, adapted and flourished. Not only are they currently out in front in their own championship but a 1-0 away loss to Parma in a Cup Winners Cup quarter final, first leg last week offers them at least a sporting chance of making it to the semi finals of the competition.
Incidentally, if PSG eliminated Parma it would represent the fourth consecutive season in which they had reached a European semi final. In 1993, they were knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Juventus, in 1994 they were eliminated from the Cup Winners' Cup by Arsenal, while last year, of course, they were knocked out of the Champions Cup by AC Milan - all at the semi final stage.
Among those players to have featured in the good PSG run thus far is the Panamanian Julio Cesar Dely Valdes. Bought from Cagliari last summer, Dely Valdes had the unenviable task of replacing Weah. Yet, by the halfway point in the championship, he had done such a good job that he had already scored more goals (11) than Weah scored in his entire final season in French soccer (7).
Remarkably, Weah is not that much missed by the PSG fans who recall without much pleasure the curiously "dull" performances from the European and FIFA Player of the Year against Milan in both Champions Cup semi finals. Remember that Weah went into both those games knowing full well that Milan had just about clinched his purchase, and the impending transfer appeared to do little for his performance on the night.
Partnering Dely Valdes in attack is new purchase Patrice Loko, one of the stars of the championship winning Nantes side of last season. Loko, who was the league's leading goalscorer for the last two seasons, has not had an easy time with his new club.
Difficulties in adjusting to his new surrounds saw him end up in a psychiatric ward after a particularly eventful night out in Paris last July.
Loko now appears to have rediscovered something like the form which saw him score 21 goals for Nantes last season, and he opened the scoring on Sunday against Lyons to bag his eighth goal of the season.
Loko's refound form will be a matter of some relief to French coach Aime Jacquet, who seems certain to name him in his squad for this summer's Euro 96 finals in England.
Dely Valdes and Loko in attack, Rai (brother of the never to be forgotten Dr Socrates) and the currently injured Youri Djorkaeff in midfield, and Paul Le Guen and Laurent Fournier in defence form the backbone of this year's surprisingly aggressive PSG side.
The good showing against Parma plus Sunday's win against Lyon both followed in the wake of 1-0 league wins against Lens and Rennes.
