Arsenal and Wolfsburg have two things in common: they made the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) semi-finals last season and were knocked out of this year’s competition in the qualifying rounds by Paris FC.
It was not a surprise, according to those working at the French club, rather a just reward for their commitment to a long-term project. Considered the third force in women’s football in France, Paris FC have long-lived in the shadows of heavyweights Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
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Paris FC are relatively unknown outside of France, but following their victories against Arsenal and Wolfsburg, they are now in the spotlight. Before their second UWCL group-stage game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, people are asking: who are Paris FC and where did they come from?
In 2017, Paris FC (whose men’s team play in Ligue 2) bought local side Juvisy to become part of its women’s section, transforming the club from an amateur setup into a professional, full-time outfit. A year later, Sandrine Soubeyrand, France’s most capped…
