PSG rises and Pogba returns to France as PSG begins their Ligue 1 championship defence.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will be anxious that a drastically shortened summer break won’t negatively affect them as they kick off the Ligue 1 season this weekend. The event will spotlight the new European champions and mark the return of Paul Pogba to France.

This is only the second instance when the top league in France has welcomed the Champions League champions, with PSG winning against Inter Milan in May, following Marseille's victory in 1993.

On Wednesday, Luis Enrique’s squad claimed the UEFA Super Cup after trailing by two goals against Tottenham, managing to win through penalties.

This achievement is particularly impressive considering they had only a week of pre-season training and no friendly matches.

This follows their long run to the Club World Cup final in the United States, where they suffered a 3-0 loss to Chelsea on July 13, concluding an exhausting 65-match season.

While their Champions League victory remains a proud accomplishment, the lengthy season could potentially affect Luis Enrique’s players as the season progresses.

“This past season fulfilled the dreams of all PSG fans, the club, and every player associated with it,” the PSG coach remarked this week.

“Our goal now is to continue creating history, which means securing back-to-back Champions League titles. That is our aspiration.”

In other words, the focus on European success takes precedence over claiming a 12th domestic title in 14 seasons.

Despite this, PSG are still the clear favorites as they begin their season, having recently signed goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier from Lille to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma, along with Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi from Bournemouth.

– Lyon’s Resurgence –

French football is currently facing a crisis due to challenges in securing a local broadcast partner willing to provide the funding necessary for teams, aside from PSG, to compete internationally.

Last season, the French league ended a low-budget agreement with the streaming service DAZN.

Instead, it has launched its own platform, a courageous move that could succeed in the future, but at present leaves clubs without guaranteed television revenue.