The Parc des Princes celebrates its 50th birthday
On 25th May 1972, 50 years ago to the day, Paris Saint-Germain's historic stadium was inaugurated in an Olympic qualifier between France's amateur team and the USSR. We take a look back at a symbolic night at a ground whose history has been linked to the capital club since the 1970s.
25th May is the big day!
After five years of building work and several months of delays, the new Parc des Princes was finally ready. Just a few days before the Coupe de France final, 28,000 spectators finally got a first look at Paris's newest monument.
The Soviets made the trip to the capital with very little pressure on their shoulders after a comfortable 5-1 win on home soil. In a group of three teams including Austria, France had no choice but to win by a three-goal margin if they were to make it to the Olympic Games in Munich.
The USSR were much too strong for France, though, who were heavily dominated and beaten 3-1. Pierre Mankowski, a former player, manager and head coach of France's U16s, U18s and U21s up until 2016, was at this inaugural match and hasn't forgotten about it: "I was 20, I was playing at amateur level for Amiens in front of 2,000 spectators maximum, and this was a really important event for me. The Parc des Princes was a big, brand-new stadium, and I was really impressed by how immense it was."
The USSR, spearheaded by star player Oleg Blokhin, had already secured their place at the tournament when Gérard Tonnel got on the end of a shot from Christian Chenu and wrote his name into Parc des Princes history by scoring Les Bleus' first goal just before the hour mark.
France would fail to make it to the Olympics against a Soviet side who, in Mankowski's eyes, were far too strong: "The USSR didn't have professional football, so that was their best team. Blokhin was exceptional, and even though we had a very solid team, it was normal that we lost."
The USSR would eventually end up with the bronze medal around their necks a few months later, but the inaugural match was a great success.
50 years later, Mankowski, who was Les Rouge et Bleu's academy director during the 1997-98 season, remains a regular watcher of Paris Saint-Germain, a club where his brother works as a first-team physio. "I love this stadium. It's magnificent, and the atmosphere is always extraordinary. With Paris Saint-Germain, it's always entertaining, too! The fact that it's been 50 years already doesn't make me feel any younger; I'd actually forgotten about this anniversary. The next time that I come back to the Parc des Princes, I won't forget that I was part of its inauguration!"
25th May 1972, Parc des Princes
FRANCE AMATEURS 1-3 USSR
Goals: Tonnel (58') for France, Machaidze (42') and Blokhin (48', 88') for the USSR.
7,369 spectators (plus 20,000 children invited as guests).
France: Lannoy – Ribeyre, Hopquin, Imiela, Le Bourgocq (Rizzo, 35') – Chenu, Romier – Mankowski, Tonnel, Roefa, Collinet. Head coach: André Grillon.
USSR: Olejnik – Serostanov, Goloubetz, Boutoulakin, Potochniak – Dorofeev (Poudloujny) – Gutzaev, Nodia, Boriak, Blokhin. Head coach: Aleksandr Ponomarev.