2013 : Paris liberated

Two years after the arrival of their new owners, Paris Saint-Germain ended a 19-year wait for the French league title. A success that was carried on the shoulders of the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Marco Verratti.

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The match

Runners-up to Montpellier a year earlier, PSG went to Lyon with just one aim: the three points that would clinch them a first league title in 19 years.

With their star recruits (Thiago Silva, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ezequiel Lavezzi), a young Italian starlet (Marco Verratti) and the January arrivals of David Beckham and Lucas Moura, the Parisians moved to the top of the table after the turn of the year before pulling clear of their main rivals that season, Marseille and Lyon. It was at the Stade Gerland — then the home of OL — that they claimed the crown thanks to a goal from Jérémy Menez (53'). Unbeaten in their final 11 games of the league season (9 wins), the players, led by captain Thiago Silva, put Paris back at the summit of French football, and they were only just getting started…

The player

France got to discover Zlatan Ibrahimovic, just as he himself had promised when he signed along with Thiago Silva from AC Milan in summer 2012.

He finished the season as the league's leading scorer, but his contribution to the title was so much more than his 30 goals. Ibra also had a joint-team high (with Javier Pastore) eight assists, and his charisma and drive guided his team to the title.

The picture

Mamadou Sakho as a makeshift goalkeeper at Lorient in his final PSG appearance, 26 May 2013.

The number

The Parisians had both the best attack (69 goals) and the best defence (23 goals) in the league that year, in addition to Ibrahimovic's league-leading 30 goals.

The highlights

The highlights of the 2012-2013 season.

The anecdote

David Beckham, captain against Brest, played his 843rd and final professional match at the age of 38 on 18 May 2013.

There was a lot of emotion when one of English football's greats could not hide the tears as he pulled on his boots one final time. It was a night the Paris fans would not forget as the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan star said goodbye to football on the Parc des Princes pitch.

The quote

«  I want to write history with Paris. I'm sure we'll win a lot and bring back lots of trophies. I don't know much about the French league. I'm here to win with my team. Regardless of the opponent, that I know them or not. I don't know Ligue 1, but Ligue 1 knows me. »