4 PSG Players of the Last 10 Years Who Never Won over the Fans

Football can be an unforgiving sport, as Paris Saint-Germain summer signing Benjamin Stambouli found out recently when he made his home debut for the French champions.

Introduced as a substitute for the last 16 minutes in the 2-0 win over Gazelec Ajaccio back in August, the 25-year-old was whistled and jeered by pockets of the Parc des Princes crowd.

The reason for PSG supporters booing a new signing who was yet to even set foot on home soil in his new colours? Stambouli, who was born in Marseille, has admitted in the past that he grew up a fan of OM—Les Parisiens’ bitter rivals.

Stambouli was born in Marseille, raised supporting the team and was even part of the southern giants’ youth academy when father Henri was at the club. However, the 25-year-old has never even played a single minute of first-team football with Les Phoceens.

Such is the hatred between PSG and Marseille, something as small as admitting childhood support for OM has now made winning over his new set of supporters a tough task for Stambouli.

The capital club even had to take to social media when the former Montpellier HSC man signed this summer to dispel a popular rumour that the player has the Marseille crest tattooed on his torso to abate the fans’ displeasure at seeing a self-confessed OM man sign for their team.

Despite his hot reception at Parc des Princes against Gazelec, something Stambouli admitted to L’Equipe (h/t Goal’s Matthew Rogerson) that he expected, the jury is out on the talented midfielder, and he will try to win over the PSG supporters while in the capital.

Here are four players from the past 10 years who failed to do that in Paris, and they should act as cautionary tales for the new boy.

4. Apoula Edel

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Before the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and the likes of Nicolas Douchez, Salvatore Sirigu and now Kevin Trapp, it was Apoula Edel who playing in goal for PSG.

The Cameroon-born Armenia international played for the then-underachieving capital outfit between 2007 and 2011 and was an extremely unpopular figure during his time in Paris.

Edel’s time at the club is now the stuff of legend, albeit solely for comedy purposes, with his inexplicable error to gift Bafetimbi Gomis a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw away at Olympique Lyonnais the most haunting of a number of bad blunders.

Such has been the comic value of Edel’s career so far, his gaffes have even inspired tribute videos.

3. Mickael Landreau

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PSG has not been a happy destination for goalkeepers over the past 10 years, with former France international goalkeeper Mickael Landreau another to have incurred the wrath of the Parc des Princes faithful.

The now retired shot stopper played for the capital club between 2006 and 2009. Considering his quality with FC Nantes and in a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double-winning Lille OSC team either side of his PSG nightmare, he should have been a success in Paris.

However, Landreau was a big failure in the French capital, and his time there was percolated with mistakes.

His bizarre own goal in a 3-0 defeat away at Dynamo Kiev in the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals of 2008-09 will live long in the memory. As will another calamitous own goal in a 3-2 Coupe de la Ligue semi-final win over AJ Auxerre—a match where PSG's fans made their preference for substitute goalkeeper Jerome Alonzo clear with an explicit banner aimed at Landreau.

A laughable mix-up with Zoumana Camara to gift Johan Elmander one of his two goals in a 2-1 defeat at home to Toulouse in the 2007-08 Ligue 1 campaign is also worth mentioning here.

To top things off, Landreau added to his negative image in the eyes of PSG fans with his various comments about the club after leaving for Lille.

Kevin Trapp, you have been warned…

2. Diego Lugano

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Acquired from Fenerbahce SK in the summer of 2011, QSI’s first signing at Parc des Princes, Diego Lugano was expected to be a beastly presence in the centre of the PSG defence.

The Uruguay international was thought to be the perfect figure to help the promising Mamadou Sakho to develop when newly appointed sporting director Leonardo bought him.

However, while the Brazilian’s time in charge of transfers at Parc des Princes was dominated by successful signings such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Maxwell, Thiago Motta and Marco Verratti, he also made a few terrible acquisitions.

The worst of all of them was Lugano, and the 34-year-old former Uruguay captain only lasted two years in Paris, between 2011 and 2013, before moving on to West Bromwich Albion for nothing.

Now playing for Cerro Porteno in Paraguay, Lugano made his unhappiness at PSG known early on in his time there after slipping out of the starting XI, and he developed a poisonous attitude.

La Celeste’s 2011 Copa America-winning captain was even forced to train with the reserves before finally departing on loan to Malaga CF and eventually to WBA on a permanent deal.

Lugano was worshipped like a hero by Fenerbahce fans, but he struck up no rapport with the PSG support, and many welcomed his departure.

1. Mateja Kezman

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As far as players never winning the PSG fans over are concerned though, Mateja Kezman is arguably the most unpopular figure to have played for the club in the past decade.

The Serbia and Montenegro international was at Parc des Princes between 2008 and 2010, initially on loan from Fenerbahce and later on a permanent deal.

Kezman was an abject failure in France, scoring just five times across all competitions. The former PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid man had his PSG contract terminated in 2010 after an unsuccessful loan spell at Zenit Saint Petersburg had come to an end.

However, it was not because of his minimal contribution to the team’s cause on the pitch that Kezman was unable to win over the PSG supporters.

In February of 2009, with Les Parisiens trailing Girondins de Bordeaux 1-0 at home in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-finals, Kezman was substituted by coach Paul Le Guen. Booed after a poor display, the striker removed his shirt and threw it to floor on his way off the pitch and down the tunnel.

Ludovic Giuly’s facial expression after the event in that video said it all. From that moment on, there was no way back for Kezman in Paris.