Barcola becomes 500th Paris Saint-Germain player
Bradley Barcola made history at the Groupama Stadium on Sunday night when he made his Paris Saint-Germain debut as a second-half substitute in the 4-1 win over Lyon, becoming the 500th player to wear the famous Rouge et Bleu in a competitive match, since the club's founding in 1970.
And with the 500-player mark reached tonight in Lyon, what better opportunity to open the Rouge et Bleu history books and (re)discover the famous names that preceded the new Parisian number 29.
The First XI
A look back at the club's beginnings, with the eleven players lining up for the kick-off against Poitiers (1-1) on 23 August 1970 in the Championnat National (ex Ligue 2).
The 11 Parisian pioneers that day were Camille Choquier (in goal), Jean-Claude Fitte-Duval, Daniel Guicci, Roland Mitoraj and captain Jean Djorkaeff in defence, Jean-Pierre Destrumelle and Bernard Béreau in midfield, and Jean-Louis Brost, Michel Prost, Bernard Guignedoux and Jean-Claude Bras in attack.
Four players from that first game have since passed away: Jean-Claude Fitte-Duval, Jean-Pierre Destrumelle, Bernard Béreau and Bernard Guignedoux, who made history by scoring Paris Saint-Germain's first ever official goal from a free-kick.
The 100s
On 26 July 1979 in Lyon, three players shared the title of 100th official Paris Saint-Germain player: Jean-Noël Huck, Carlos Abel Braga and Joao Alves.
Three players of international calibre: Jean-Noël Huck, who also played for Strasbourg, Nice and Paris FC, was an established international midfielder (17 caps for Les Bleus) with a rich career and 465 first division appearances to his name.
Carlos Abel wore the colours of Brazil in 1978, and this central defender went on to fame as a coach, winning a FIFA Club World Cup and a Copa Libertadores in 2006 with Sport Club International de Porto Alegre.
Joao Alves, famous for his black gloves, became the star of the Rouge et Bleu in 1979 after transferring from SL Benfica, but his Paris career came to a sudden halt a few weeks later when he suffered a serious leg injury.
The 200s
Five of them started the season at Saint-Etienne on 8 August 1992: Bernard Lama in goal, Jean-Luc Sassus and Alain Roche in defence, Vincent Guérin in midfield and François Calderaro in attack. Paris went on to win 2-1 in Le Forez and launch a successful season, full of European drama against Real Madrid and ending with victory in the Coupe de France.
While François Calderaro did not make his mark in the capital, Bernard Lama, the late Jean-Luc Sassus, Alain Roche and Vincent Guérin left their mark on the club's history, winning numerous trophies and making a total 870 official appearances between them.
The 300th
Chiguy Lucau, a club Titis, or academy graduate , became the 300th official player for Les Rouge et Bleu against Lens on 12 April 2003 at the Parc des Princes in the French first division. Coming on as a 79th-minute substitute, he was unable to prevent his side's defeat, but his debut alongside a certain Ronaldinho remains a memory engraved forever in the mind of the young striker born in Kinshasa, capital of the Republic of Congo.
The 400th
After a Titi, it was time for a global football star! On 24 February 2013, David Beckham made his Paris debut against Marseille at the Parc des Princes in Ligue 1, replacing Javier Pastore in the 76th minute of the 2-0 victory. A few months later, Sir David Beckham brought his immense career to a close with the captain's armband, unable to fight back the tears in a farewell that the Parc des Princes will never forget...
Bradley Barcola has now become the 500th player to play for Paris Saint-Germain after he was introduced off the bench to replace Ousmane Dembele at Groupama Stadium on Sunday 3 September, 2023 having signed for the capital club just days earlier from… Lyon!
