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Neymar is not enough! 5 reasons why PSG won’t win the Champions League

By Clemente Lisi

Brazilian superstar Neymar (R) poses with his jersey next to Paris Saint Germain's (PSG) Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi during his official presentation at the Parc des Princes stadium on August 4, 2017 in Paris after agreeing a five-year contract following his world record 222 million euro ($260 million) transfer from Barcelona to PSG.Paris Saint-Germain have signed Brazilian forward Neymar from Barcelona for a world-record transfer fee of 222 million euros (around $264 million), more than doubling the previous record. Neymar said he came to Paris Saint-Germain for a 'bigger challenge' in his first public comments since arriving in the French capital. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE LOPEZ (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images)
Brazilian superstar Neymar (R) poses with his jersey next to Paris Saint Germain's (PSG) Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi during his official presentation at the Parc des Princes stadium on August 4, 2017 in Paris after agreeing a five-year contract following his world record 222 million euro ($260 million) transfer from Barcelona to PSG.Paris Saint-Germain have signed Brazilian forward Neymar from Barcelona for a world-record transfer fee of 222 million euros (around $264 million), more than doubling the previous record. Neymar said he came to Paris Saint-Germain for a 'bigger challenge' in his first public comments since arriving in the French capital. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE LOPEZ (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) /
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PSG may have gotten the player it wanted by signing Neymar, but it will take more than the Brazilian star to help the French club win the Champions League this season.

With the question of whether Neymar would ever sign with French club Paris Saint-Germain, it’s time to try to answer the biggest question of them all: can the team win the Champions League this season?

After dominating Ligue 1 in recent years, PSG have lacked that extra spark needed to win the Champions league, the world’s most-prestigious club trophy. Neymar is supposed to be the player that changes all that in the coming season. Nonetheless, it won’t be easy despite having the Brazilian in their ranks.

Fire up your tweets and hate mail, PSG fans, because here are five reasons why your team won’t win the Champions League this season.

1. Roster lacks depth

With the addition of the 25-year-old striker, PSG appear stronger than ever before. How much stronger are they with Neymar? Not a whole lot when you compare their roster to the ones of other major clubs in Europe. Free-spending clubs often forget that soccer is a team game, not an individual sport. Unless PSG dole out more cash for a few more quality players, Neymar could find himself playing in a vacuum in Paris.

Who else can you name from PSG’s roster? It’s true fellow Brazilians Thiago Silva, Dani Alves and Marquinhos add quality to a lineup that also features Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti and Edinson Cavani, but this is not a team that has a lot of depth to be able to compete both for the Ligue 1 title and Champions League. They could forgo the first for the latter, but they still have to play their domestic season each week. Expectations are sky high and fans in Paris are expecting all kinds of silverware this season with their new-look lineup.

2. Weak domestic competition

The biggest knock against Neymar signing with PSG is that Ligue 1 is not as competitive as Spain’s La Liga. That is true. It’s not.

Ligue 1 features 20 clubs, but only Lyon and AS Monaco can realistically compete for the domestic title. That leaves PSG with 34 other games to play against clubs with far inferior talent. That doesn’t allow for players to get better and adequately test themselves. At Barcelona, Neymar had many challenges. He had the El Clasico duel with Real Madrid in addition to games versus highly-talented Atletico Madrid and heated derby versus Espanyol. Games against tricky sides such as Sevilla, Villarreal and Valencia always made for a competitive season. It is worth noting that Barcelona, runners-up last season, dropped points against mid- to bottom table teams.

3. Spending doesn’t always pay

There are lots of clubs that have tried to buy their way to continental glory (both in an attempt to win the Champions League or its precursor the European Champions’ Cup) but to no avail. Just ask Manchester City.

The English club aren’t alone in their futility. Italian giants Napoli tried in the pre-Champions League era in the late 1980s and early ’90s with players such as Diego Maradona and Brazilian stars Careca and Alemao. Fellow Serie A side Roma attempted the same with Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta. In the end, neither club came close to winning it. Before Arsenal became stingy during transfer windows, they spent on talent such as Thierry Henry. They have since had to settle for qualifying for Champions League each season, rather than ever coming close to winning it.

4. Other clubs are getting stronger

Even without Neymar, Barcelona remain a strong side. Sure, they need to shore up in defense and replace some depth in midfield, but Barcelona are still on the shortlist to potentially win the Champions League come next spring.

Barcelona are in very good company. The list of Champions League contenders this season is a long one: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund are all stronger than PSG. The French club would have a tough time versus any of these teams come the knockout stages. Even AC Milan, who are not in the Champions League this season, arguably have a stronger roster after their new Chinese owners spent lots of money this past summer.

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5. Beware a World Cup year

For as much as PSG yearn to win the Champions League, Neymar’s own personal goal is to win the World Cup next summer with his beloved Brazil.

Neymar has already won the Champions League with Barcelona. If he leads PSG to the title, then his legacy will forever be cemented as a great player … in Paris. But Neymar is Brazilian. Without a World Cup, he will remain a footnote back home. That 7-1 loss to Germany three years ago in the World Cup semifinals remains a raw memory for millions. A World Cup title in 2018 would go a long way in the healing process of the Brazilian people. Neymar, who helped Brazil win the gold medal at last summer’s Rio Olympics, may be focused on that trophy above any other.

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