Paris Saint-Germain players at the World Cup: Act 2, the 1990s
A few days before the start of the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup, we look back at the history of Paris Saint-Germain's players during the World Cup finals. Second step: the 1990s.
Four years after finishing third in Mexico, the French team missed the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Three players from the club from the capital were nevertheless on the trip to defend the Parisian colours.
Yugoslavia, with Safet Susic and Zlatko Vujovic, had an outstanding run to the quarter-finals. At 35, Susic, his team's playmaker, retired from international football after a successful tournament: "I was afraid of missing out, like in Spain eight years earlier. I was sensitive to the criticism about my age, but I guess I still need to be challenged like that to motivate me!"
Gabriel Calderon's Argentina, who eliminated Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals, failed to reach the final against Germany (0-1, 08/07/1990). It was a disappointing end, but a great memory for the likeable Argentinian who has just left Paris: "I only arrived at the last moment before the competition, but I was good in training and I contributed something when I came on. In Italy, I found my football again."
Four years later, we headed to the USA, again without France, cruelly eliminated by Bulgaria at the Parc des Princes. Following Ricardo's withdrawal a few days before the start of the competition, Paris was represented solely by Rai.
It all started well for the Brazil captain, who scored from the penalty spot in the first match against Russia (2-0, 20 June 1994). The number 10 then lost his starting place and the armband to Dunga, and did not even come on in the final, which was won on penalties against Italy (0-0 a.p., 3-2 on penalties, 17/07/1994). Despite these setbacks, Rai celebrated his country's victory with dignity: "I am a world champion, I was in the group, I helped my teammates. The World Cup is not just a month of competition. I was the captain and I took part in the preparation for three years. I played the first three games in the USA and had two good first games. In the third match, the whole team failed. But it will always be a good memory. There are times when it's out of my hands. I'm not in a position to demand anything, and I can't complain with everything I've experienced!"
