Red Bull In Paris : RB Paris

A long break, broken by some unwanted friendlies, would be extremely valuable for Patrice Evra. Even with a few bothersome injuries, RB Paris would walk into the second half of the season ready for what could be a brutal month. The Coupe de France would start off the year and could help stretch the month into a ten game affair if they keep winning. There is also some hope that the World Cup will help weaken teams with players that participated, like Paris SG or AS Monaco, but they can’t rely on that to make it through the whole season.

Despite Evra trying to steer clear of trash talking he found himself the target of FC Metz’s Stéphane Jobard loud mouth. Their opening game of the Coupe de France would be peppered with talk of RB Paris being “overrated” and “inflated” thanks to Jobard.

“I’m not really interested in responding here, Stéphane is just trying to fire up his guys, I’ll settle this on the field” is all Evra had to say about it officially, but inside sources report that he tried to use this to motivate the team before a long run.

It’s questionable if the approach worked for either team after a 1-0 RB Paris win, but the game wasn’t as close as the score would indicate. FC Metz had a few openings, but RB Paris’ second squad was in total control and advanced without much trouble. The win would be followed by a happy yet worrisome milestone during a 2-0 win over Nice. Dillon Hoogewerf would score his first goal of the season, an event met with much fanfare, Evra is lucky that the team managed to score elsewhere otherwise the season might look very different with your starting striker a blank for half the season.

The good start to 2023 would be nothing compared to the reaction to the biggest game of the month, a trip to Parc des Princes to face off against the unstoppable beast of PSG. This game was a bigger deal for RB Paris, though it was a little hard for Evra to put too much focus on it with a brutal run of games coming up. Three games in six days would have his head spinning and most media outlets painted RB Paris as a speed bump on PSG’s way to the top, and perhaps Thomas Tuchel could not be faulted for overlooking the noisy neighbor who had never once beaten his side. Evra would also be without two of his best players in Danny Malitoli and Cristian Ferreira, who was back but failed to be match fit, forcing him to play youngsters Younes Boussif and Dennis Waidner. What ended up happening would go down in RB Paris’ history as one of their biggest milestones as a would-be champion. Tuchel’s 4-4-2 proved to be an issue with RB Paris struggling with their two forwards, focus on Kylian Mbappé made things much easier for Gabriel Jesus as the French superstar pulled defenders all over the field. So easy that Gabriel Jesus nearly scored at 13’ but banged one off the post, things looked to be going PSG’s way before things violently swayed in the other direction. Just a few minutes later Boussif would announce himself with a stunning goal off a free kick just outside the box that had shades of Christano Ronaldo with a powerful dip that found the side netting. The goal seemed to turn PSG on their head and their early success gave way to a high paced RB Paris attack that kept them on their heels, it wasn’t until just before the half that Gabriel Jesus would get another chance and this time he wouldn’t miss. 1-1 at the half felt like a loss for PSG as Tuchel, known for expressing his displeasure, had quite a lot to say to his side as they walked off the pitch. Hans-Günter Reus would be swapped for Diego Raposo at the half, the Brazilian midfielder had suffered a pulled thigh and couldn’t go on. Things didn’t look good on paper, but Evra’s faith in club youth paid off as Reus put up his best performance to date and helped shut down PSG’s midfield. Even more importantly, a poorly cleared ball off a corner would find Reus at 65’ and he would bang the ball in to stun the hosts 2-1. The next twenty-plus minutes of the game felt like a world cup final, at least for one set of fans, and as PSG couldn’t pull level they seemed more and more desperate but couldn’t get through. When the whistle blew RB Paris had their first win over PSG in club history and found themselves getting closer to Champions League qualification.

“I’m very happy for them, this win was for the fans. This is where the club is headed, we will enjoy this one but we have more games to play” said Evra, covered in champagne, as the team tried to forget about the schedule crunch coming up.

The next few games would be almost a blur with the second squad given the task of helping the first squad rest. A 2-1 win over Reims and a dicey 3-2 win, taken into extra time, over Strasbourg in the Coupe de France would show that RB Paris are willing to gut out wins. Mauro Amorim would have a 90+1’ goal disallowed in the last one, but they still managed to keep it together and win. The downside of the win would be a date with PSG in the next round, few thought they could pull off the impossible twice in a row. A 1-0 win over Sochaux, with Youssef Camara scoring the only goal, would be the last hurrah for a worn out side. Six wins in a row turned out the be the best Evra could muster before injuries and exhaustion hit the club.

A Hoogewerf double would be spoiled by some of the worst defending RB Paris have put on the field all season. The timing was atrocious as well with Lyon sitting on top of the league and RB Paris just two points behind them in second, a win would put Evra’s side on top of the league and get them clear of the pack. With just five points between first and fifth, and AS Monaco falling fast, a win could help get them out of the crowded Champions League race. A 3-0 lead at 52’ would crumble with stupid penalties giving Lyon free kicks close to the box, two of them turning into goals before Victor Osimhen put the final touch on a Route One goal in stoppage time to make it 3-3. The draw would put RB Paris third, tied with PSG, and hold Lyon in first by a single point.

The next two games, with PSG looming in the Coupe de France, couldn’t have been more mind numbing. Two 0-0 draws, against Nîmes and Brest, showed how worn down RB Paris were. Two teams they could have beaten, should have beaten, but instead collapsed as much as possible without losing. Meanwhile Strasbourg would stun Lyon 1-0 and PSG would move into first, RB Paris would finish the month third but tied on points with Lyon.

Round 2 with PSG in January would show the nature of the sports world as Evra would end the month getting savaged by his own fans. Beating PSG for the first time seemed to flip a switch in terms of expectations, and now that he had proved it was possible some felt it was now necessary. The first criticism came from sending out the second squad, who have played all of the cup games, with many accusing Evra of failing to take this game seriously.

“I’m offended by that assumption” snapped Evra after the game “all of our players contribute to the team, we get great young players here because they know they can play. I refuse the pull them out because we play PSG instead of someone else.”

This time PSG asserted themselves and headed into the half up 3-1 thanks to an Mbappé double and Marquinhos heading one in on a corner. Rasmus Rasmussen had RB Paris’ only goal, but by 39’ it felt useless. With a PSG win almost inevitable two 60’ subs turned into a showcase for how good RB Paris could be in the future. Kévin Blanc and Octávio Martinho came on at LB and LW and immediately took over the game down the left flank. At 72’ and 79’, both on passes from Blanc on the end line, Martinho would score to make it 3-3. Just a few minutes later Gabriel Jesus, the potential savior of their first meeting, threw an elbow in Blanc’s face and found himself seeing red over the incident. There wasn’t much game left to play and things looked to be in RB Paris’ favor, but Tuchel had an ace up his sleeve and opted for a Route One / counter attack approach until the end of the game. Practically seconds from extra time Mauro Icardi would find an opening, making a tired Pierluigi Pinto look like a fool, and score a winner at 90+2’. A 4-3 loss would be the final insult to a month with ten games, now Evra would need to focus on the league and a meeting with FC Red Bull Salzburg in the Europa League.

A very packed month there due to the world cup but arguably one of the most important in the clubs young history. One loss and a first win over PSG marks an incredible run that has propelled you into the top three. A great effort, now to keep it going.

After the way January ended Patrice Evra would desperately need a break, but instead he found himself and the club embroiled in a contract dispute that went very public very quickly. One of RB Paris’ best buys, a free transfer from Norwegian side Raufoss, Rasmus Rasmussen decided that his uptick in form was worthy of a massive pay increase. Inside sources report that his demands landed somewhere around €13K a week to make him the second highest paid player on the squad, a ludicrous sum considering his standing in the second squad.

“I’m good enough for United, they need to start paying me like it” was the first salvo from Rasmussen on his quest to be sold.

A €3.8M offer from Manchester United, which was rejected, seems to be the spark for this tantrum. Evra and RB Paris declined to comment on the situation, but with the condition of RW at RB Paris there was no way he was going to be sold. The injury situation with Benito missing games has given Rasmussen more first squad time, but few feel he’s a true starter at this point.

Evra would barely have time to process the loss to PSG in the Coupe de France before a trip to Marseille with the Rasmussen situation hanging over his head and one hell of a stretch. Marseille, LOSC Lille, AS Monaco, and then Red Bull Salzburg all in the span of two weeks would put RB Paris to the test. Unfortunately for him it would turn into a minor extension of January as Greg Docherty continued a string of questionable decisions. Two quick bookings, less than five minutes apart, would put RB Paris down a man with nearly 3/4th of a game to play. Evra’s 4-2-3 approach worked well enough, but as usual they would concede on a corner to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage. Benito would pull things level at 73’, which someone also managed to feel like a statement on the Rasmussen situation, and it looked like Evra was going to escape with a point. Marseille nearly scored in stoppage time off a set piece but instead found the crossbar and RB Paris ran for the tunnel with their point.

Just three days later a trip to Lille would turn into a tight but easily won affair with the second squad once again proving themselves. Mauro Amorim would dart through a channel and score off a Younes Boussif pass at 23’ and that was all RB Paris needed to take the win and extend an unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to ten games. An important Europa League game, and the dumpster fire condition of AS Monaco, forced Evra into starting the second squad again. While some questioned his decision with the top of Ligue 1 getting tighter, it turned out to be an excellent move as Niko Kovač’s side seemed to find a way to pour even more gasoline on their season. Boussif would open the scoring at 4’ and Rasmussen would make it 2-0 before the half. Pablo Sultuane would cap things off at 83’, AS Monaco couldn’t do anything right as RB Paris ran roughshod over them at home, and to make things worse Davinson Sánchez would literally kick the ball into his own net thanks to a miscommunication with their keeper in stoppage time.

Red Bull GmbH would be so happy to see Stade Sébastien Charléty completely full of fans basically wearing the same kit. It would be hard to tell fans apart, but it would be a big game for both sides with a trip to the next round on the line. Red Bull Salzburg would be looking at their 10th straight Bundesliga title, the Austrian league no longer held much mystery for them, and manager Jesse Marsch would be under pressure to make headway in Europe. Despite the buzz and media hype, this game would turn into a dull affair that would see RB Paris come out looking like the far superior Red Bull property. Aliou Traoré and Docherty would make it 2-0 in the first half, which would be a good outcome for Red Bull Salzburg as RB Paris crushed them all over the field, and then Dillon Hoogewerf would contribute a rare goal at 77’ to basically close out the affair. The visitors would manage a late goal with the game winding down but by that point even the players looked like they didn’t care. The 3-1 win earn a date with Sevilla in the next round, a much tougher challenge that should push RB Paris to their limit.

The three games following the big win against Red Bull Salzburg would be a major wakeup call for anyone who thought RB Paris was going to cruise through the season. It was also a concern as Evra seems to still have issues getting his team up for “small” games after a big one. The biggest choke of the month, and probably RB Paris’ short history, would be a 3-2 loss to Dijon FCO at Stade Gaston-Gérard. Going up 2-0 on an Amorim double, at 11’ and 16’, apparently caused the team to drop their guard. A 2-0 lead at 90’ completely evaporated as RB Paris seemed to mentally leave the field, all three goals came on set pieces and made Evra’s side look like choking dogs. To make things worse, or better depending on your take of the situation, Rasmussen would sprain his knee during the game and be ruled out for five to six weeks.

A 2-0 win over Montpellier would go as planned thanks to Hoogewerf scoring at 5’, it would also be youngster Argélico’s first game with the senior squad. With RW desperately thin the Brazilian forward would get a minor cameo before being trusted with a start in their next game against AS Saint-Etienne. With Sevilla to start March the second squad went out again against AS Saint-Etienne and the team promptly got dumped 3-0 in the first 80’, one of the worst defensive performances of the season saw a normally stout Evra side play like a Ligue 2 bottom feeder. It’s too bad it happened in this game, but Kévin Blanc (81’) and Argélico (86’) would score their first senior goals on their way to what looked like an incredible comeback. It ended there with AS Saint-Etienne able to hang on and put a serious hit on RB Paris’ chances of making it into the Champions League.

March would be an important month for RB Paris, but not just because they would face Sevilla in the Europa League. February had seven games and April could have eight if they beat Sevilla, but this month would have only five games and one of the easiest stretches of Ligue 1 possible. Even after losing to AS Saint-Etienne and Dijon FCO this run of league fixtures would be a blessing. FC Nantes, Bordeaux, and two games against Strasbourg would be a welcome break that RB Paris should be able to get out of without much trouble. Evra would need to savor this month because April could be bad if they beat Sevilla, the Europa League draw could pit them against AS Roma again if they win as well, the headache of dealing with Marcelino again might be worse than playing them.

Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán would be the setting for a near-legendary moment in RB Paris history as the club took up yet another new challenge. A good Sevilla side, with ample Europa League experience, would present one of the hardest tests for Patrice Evra outside of PSG and AS Roma. Julen Lopetegui would continue his redemption tour with back-to-back 5th place finished in La Liga with a third well on the way, he would start a 4-2-3-1 to match Evra’s and his Suso-Diego Carlos-Xavi Quintillà trio would form a solid veteran core to a team that has always managed to punch above its weight. Despite the advantage on paper, it was very obvious that Lopetegui was aware of the danger RB Paris could pose as Sevilla took a more defensive counter-attacking approach in order to soak up the RB Paris attack. With Abner Felipe missing from the game, he suffered a pulled calf in practice during the week, it put bench mainstay Franco into the starting LB spot and looked to slow RB Paris’ attack. Lopetegui’s approach worked well as RB Paris dominated possession and shots, but their shots were mostly long range efforts or hopeless attempts with multiple defenders crowding the shooter. The game was dull, but as it moved into extra time at 0-0 things were slowly tipping in Sevilla’s favor. A penalty shootout would have been a big problem for RB Paris, their record in shootouts has been poor since Evra took over and Sevilla’s experience would swing the game in their favor. Luckily for Evra, they would never get the chance, Luyolo Tambo would come on for Bruno Rodrigues in extra time and head one in off a corner at 111’ for a shocking 1-0 lead. Sevilla collapsed at the point, the score was truly a back-breaker, down 1-0 and sitting back were not particularly compatible. Jean Marcelin would copy Tambo at 118’ to make it 2-0 and kill off the hosts, the win would rank as one of the biggest achievements in club history and earn them a trip to the quarter final.

Despite the gripes and recent losses, RB Paris were doing very well in Ligue 1. They would enter the month second in goals scored (51) and fourth in goals allowed (22), so it’s easy to see why most expected them to breeze through this run of games. The worst news to come out of this stretch were reports that RB Paris tried to find middle ground on Rasmussen’s contract demands only to have him up his asking price to €15K a week. The last thing Evra needed was dual annoyances with Rasmussen and Marcelino more than happy to talk to the media.

For once, everything went as planned. FC Nantes (2-0), Strasbourg (2-1), and Bordeaux (3-1) went down in order and RB Paris really didn’t struggle until the second match with Strasbourg. Evra would have a litany of issues coming into this game and the two week break until the first game of April would be much needed. Blanc would be on U-19 duty with France, leaving Evra with only a single LB, and Abner Felipe would be missing for another week. The cobbled together nature of this lineup would favor Strasbourg as RB Paris just couldn’t break through, it wasn’t until 90+1’ when Zoltán Tadić headed one in off a corner that Evra could finally breathe easy. A four game win streak into a two week break would be like Christmas in April for this bruised and broken squad, Evra would need every second of it with a two-legged fixture against AS Roma and a visit from PSG waiting for him in April.

The Youth Intake period opened with more announcements from the club about youth system improvements, at the rate RB Paris is moving they are going to need the upgrades as soon as possible. The club opened the announcement of their newest signings with a statement on expanding their youth recruiting and a €4.6M upgrade to their youth facilities. While their local recruiting isn’t doing nearly as well as their recruiting through the transfer market, they will need state of the art facilities if they plan on turning those recruits into stars or big transfer fees. Their association with the Red Bull Academy, a model for RB Paris’ facilities, has helped speed up development and provided the club with much needed experience.

The announcement of new signings also came with good news on RB Paris 2 and the U-19 squads, now stocked with higher upside players. RB Paris 2 is currently in first in the Championnat National 2 Group B, a significant improvement when you consider they PSG 2 is also a member an includes some of the highest profile youngsters in France (Francesco Mancin, Robin Rodier, and Corentin Louakima). The U-19 side is also showing significant improvement, sitting fourth in the Championat de France U-19 Group A.



Justin January (LW - Mozambique) : For some reason RB Paris is doing very well with players from Mozambique despite the Portuguese influence. This class landed them their second Mozambican LW and most think he’s almost a copy of Pablo Sultuane just with more pace. He has a ways to go, but many feel he has the highest upside in this class. His biggest issue at the moment is his build, at 5’-9’” he’s a good height but at 127lbs his build is rather slight. He will need to focus on building up his body or he’s going to get knocked around at the higher levels.

Jean-Claude Deschamps (CB - France) : The first half and tallest of what some coaches have dubbed Les Tours Eiffel Joumelles ([i[Twin Eiffel Towers) along with Jonathan le Carré. At 6’-6” he matches Jean Marcelin as the club’s tallest player, but he’s going to need a lot more than that to get to the senior squad. Deschamps has a decent base for development, with many thinking he could have senior squad upside, but he’s going to need to work on his passing and technique as well as build strength. He’s only 158lbs, so that 6’-6” isn’t going to have as much impact in the middle of a set piece.

Jawad Rahmani (LW - Morroco) : A player most coaches feel could be very good, but his future at RB Paris is unsure. He’s a solid defender, a natural No-Nonsense full-back with exceptional work rate and teamwork with really good makeup. Coaches consider him “driven” and very determined to improve, but his biggest drawback is pace and questions about his potential as an attacking wing-back. He could be very good, but he doesn’t fit in at RB Paris tactically and may realize his career elsewhere.

Jonathan le Carré (CB - France) : The other half of Les Joumelles, but slightly shorter (6’-4”) and a little faster. He has more promise as a ball playing defender, but like Deschamps he has a lot of work to do on his passing and technique. At the moment he gets away with his good composure and decision making to go along with an aggressive attitude, but he’s going to need to hone his skills to make the senior squad.

Álvaro Martínez (LB - Spain) : Martínez just barely gets on this list because he offers the kind of versatility the senior squad needs. A two footed attacking wing-back who can play both sides and dabbles at CB could be a massive boost for the bench, that is exactly why the club spent €1.6M to get Franco from Benfica. In his current form he has a way to go, though he’s just 15 so he has time to develop, he has the pace and flair some would expect from a Spanish player but his technique is a bit weak. He has some upside as a team leader, and he passes well, but his physical conditioning and tactical understanding have a long way to go.

That's a brilliant March you had there with some great results it's just a shame about Rasmussen and his mouth running in the media. In terms of the youth intake it sounds like there are some exciting prospects coming through and with a bit of work can prove to be top talents.

The end of the season would be just around the corner, but thanks to the World Cup the month of April would be a familiar story for RB Paris. Patrice Evra would be looking at eight games with the Europa League crowding the schedule and one last game against PSG to finish the month. Putting aside the games against AS Roma the month would be fairly easy in the runup to PSG, but with injuries and rotation it could have turned into a bigger problem.

The first game of the month, a road game at Angers SCO, would immediately highlight the danger Evra could find himself in. With AS Roma up next the second squad would get the start, but they would be handicapped right away with Octávio Martinho missing 4-5 weeks with a calf strain. The highlight of the 4-3 win would be a Mauro Amorim double, with both coming on the end of a Younes Boussif pass, but in the locker room it would be clouded over by allowing three goals.

“I think we are thinking too much about Roma, Mauro was great and saved us late but we can’t be the kind of team that gives up so many” said Evra after the game, further reports noted that he was very upset with his side despite the win.

Stade Sébastien Charléty would be the stage for a frustrating yet much needed 1-0 win to put the pressure on AS Roma. Marcelino would continue his verbal assault before the game, but an Aliou Traoré goal at 1’ seemed to shut the door on the Italian side. The goods news was RB Paris scoring so quickly, the bad news was the following 89’ of pointless football from the hosts. Despite their usual attempts at flair, all Evra’s side could do was slow down AS Roma and try to contain Andrea Pinamonti. Pinamonti would get his Route One goal at 52’, but it would be ruled offside after a VAR review and much screaming from Marcelino.

A 2-0 win over RC Lens, much like the win over Angers SCO, would be overshadowed by an injury before the game. Kévin Blanc would twist his ankle the day before, ruling him out for up to four weeks, and put Evra in an even bigger hole for the second leg against AS Roma in just three days.

All of the injuries and internal conflicts that have been festering all season created a powder keg in Rome. Blanc’s injury would leave the team thin at LB and Benito would be suspended on cards, but all of that would pale in comparison to the train wreck that unfolded on and off the field. Marcelino’s side would be up for a physical game at the Olimpico, but Greg Docherty would hand him the game at 24’. A straight red, that was never in doubt, thanks to a brutal and cynical tackle on Lorenzo Pellegrini would leave RB Paris down a man. Docherty and Evra would have words with each other as he stormed down the tunnel, and AS Roma would take over the game. The free kick given off Docherty’s penalty would result in a wonderful Pellegrini goal, putting the sides level on aggregate and souring Evra’s mood even further. Things would get much worse at halftime, possibly explaining the poor second half showing for a club that seems to be skilled at playing down a man. Inside sources report that when Evra put pressure on the squad to make a comeback Docherty became very upset and a shouting match ensued. Docherty ended up storming out, apparently leaving the stadium, and leaving the side in a horrible mental state. Pellegrini would be the man at 75’, essentially killing off RB Paris once again, and the game would end with everyone in a foul mood.

The next three games would be a bit of a blur, the last one would be yet another example of a habit Evra would need to break quickly. A pair of 2-0 wins over OGC Nice and Reims would set up RB Paris just a point away from clinching a Champions League spot, a dizzying prospect that was unthinkable before Evra arrived. Perhaps it was the game against PSG, or perhaps it was the pressure of the Champions League, but RB Paris would once again falter against a much weaker side. Sochaux would manage to frustrate a tired RB Paris into a 1-1 draw, with their only goal coming off a set piece, but they would get the point they needed to book a place in Europe’s premier competition.

“This is a big step for us” said Evra after the game “I wish we had done it with a win, but getting into the Champions League is huge for us. Huge!”

There were some reports, mostly circulating around social media, that said a number of RB Paris players were out partying the Friday before PSG. Some reports even said their players were out with Neymar at one of his extravagant events, but whatever the details it was clear this team was not mentally prepared for the Ligue 1 leaders. Thomas Tuchel would drop the hammer quickly on Evra, with Neymar scoring twice before 33’ on some of the sloppiest defending RB Paris has seen all season. Already down 2-0 Zoltán Tadić would complete a back pass into his own goal that Evra would be quoted as calling “fucking insane” to give PSG a 3-0 lead they wouldn’t need to build on. The side looked like clowns and the gulf between RB Paris and PSG had never looked wider, it seemed appropriate that the loss would clinch PSG’s sixth league title in a row and Evra would make his side stay out to watch them celebrate on their home field. The 2-1 win in January seemed like it was decades ago and they were right back under Tuchel’s boot.

The disappointment of getting dumped at home by PSG, plus the nuisance of watching them celebrate on the field, served as fuel for Patrice Evra all month. Inside sources indicate that Evra made the players stay on the field to watch PSG so they remember what it feels like and use that to drive them to victory. A solid finish to the season could send RB Paris into the Champions League next year with a head of steam and Evra has been insistent on keeping their foot on the pedal.

“We have a lead on our side, but we can’t relax, not after PSG. We can’t let one loss define our season.”

The next three games would turn out to be the kind of up-and-down roller coaster Evra has tried to avoid all season, at least this stretch mostly ended in his favor. Nîmes would give Evra a headache with a 2-0 deficit early in the game, both goals off set pieces, but manage to crawl back for a 3-2 win that started with a Mauro Amorim goal at 34’. With little to play for and a rough Marseille-Lyon run the second squad was going to get a lot of time on the field, having them come back from being down 2-0 was just what RB Paris fans wanted to see.

The Marseille-Lyon run would prove critical yet show that Evra still has a way to go. A dull 1-0 win over Marseille, won with a Jean Marcelin header at 87’, would basically clinch second barring a massive loss to Lyon. They would successfully grind that one out, but it was clear the team was losing steam and the Lyon game would prove it. Victor Osimhen would do his thing with a solid strike at 5’ and then both sides would slog through a game that nobody seemed interested in playing out. RB Paris would turn things on late, but with a lead Lyon were more than happy to sit back with a low block and make Evra’s men run into a brick wall. The win would be too little too late, even with the three points Lyon would find themselves eleven points back with only two games left on the schedule. You would think RB Paris had been relegated by their reaction, a long season had taken its toll on them and the second squad would be allowed to close it out.

Evra probably made it clear why the second squad was going to start the final two games, at least Amorim got the message. An easy 4-1 win against Brest would feature an Amorim double with two wonderful goals from the mercurial Mozambican. Younes Boussif would slide a through ball between two lines of defenders to catch Amorim in stride, looking well offside because he had lost his defender so quickly, and deftly chipping the keeper to the far side netting. His second would come thanks to a Kévin Blanc long ball and a pile up as Marko Johansson rushed out to fall on the ball but ended up giving Amorim an opening under his outstretched body.

The final game of the season came with a bit of a rant from Evra as France U-19 duty overlapped with the Ligue 1 schedule and claimed Blanc. Blanc has shown himself to be a promising player, so losing him for the final game of the season was quite disappointing.

“This makes no sense, how can we play [French] players when they are not here? We don’t see senior players doing this! Why would the U-19 do this to our players?!” said Evra to a reporter looking for a blurb on Blanc’s call up.

The final game, a dour 2-1 win over Toulouse, would be the perfect example of RB Paris’ season. After going down 1-0 early, off a set piece, the second squad would dominate the game and just barely seal a victory with a 90’ goal by Amorim off a corner. With four goals in the month, Amorim would cap an incredible season and seemingly close the door on Dillon Hoogewerf returning next year.

Patrice Evra and RB Paris continue to outstrip the predictions and soar higher and higher every season. A deep run in the Europa League was also unexpected, something they will likely struggle to repeat in the Champions League next season. Finishing second was a bit overshadowed by PSG completing a domestic treble (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophée des Champions) and getting knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-final by eventual Champions Liverpool.

RB Paris’ performance in Ligue 1 and the Europa League did come with some much needed recognition, at least with UEFA. The club moved up (509) places in the UEFA Club Rankings, the most of any other club, to find themselves at 120th. Finishing second also came with a €16.9M payout, a massive pile of cash for RB Paris, and a sharp jump in average attendance to 76% of capacity. Stade Sébastien Charléty is an older facility, with more recent renovations, but at this rate the roughly 18,000 seat stadium won’t be big enough for Red Bull GmbH’s ambitions. There are already rumors that the club has set up a committee to locate a new ground in Paris, perhaps a brand new Arène Red Bull is in their future.



Evra could feel a little better about their Europa League run after losing to AS Roma, the Serie A side would go on to lose 1-0 in the final to Tottenham. That run also gave Evra quite a bit of leverage with ownership, though it’s likely they were already considering it based on their plan moving faster than expected. RB Paris would announce further improvements to training facilities (€2.1M), and the board would initiate a €6.5M upgrade to the youth facilities. The club would also reportedly hire two additional scouts and give Evra the permission to add another coach to his staff. They would also increase the weekly wage budget again to €230K from €150K and make €20M available for transfers. The team is unlikely to allow Evra to use all of those up, reports have them looking to cash in on some players and rebuild for next year. There is also the likelihood that they will want those wages available to lock up some of their better players to long term deals.

The season would certainly wrap up on a good note, with RB Paris setting a new team record for wins. RB Paris 2 would also hold on to their lead and win the Championnat National 2 Group B. Continued success beyond the senior squad could point to an even brighter future in the shadow of PSG.

The best finish in team history is likely to paper over some issues, but the coaching staff and management need to focus on fixing some broad issues if they plan on improving or matching this season. The primary issue continues to be defense, particularly set pieces, and the second squad. When Patrice Evra needed to rest his first choice squad to prepare for the Europa League or a bigger Ligue 1 side his second squad often ended up getting gashed late in games. More than a few times a 2-0 league quickly became 2-2 or even a loss with sloppy play and a loss of concentration. That kind of play needs to be fixed immediately.


The silent MVP, though the fans noticed by voting him Player Of The Season, was Demetre Buliskeria. The Georgian started every single game for RB Paris, a whopping (51) appearances, and he was quietly a beast in goal. He continued to be a massive upgrade over Anthony Maisonnal, finishing second in Ligue 1 clean sheets with (20). PSG’s Gerónimo Rulli was first with (22), so it’s plain to see how good Buliskeria was, his total of (26) clean sheets shattered Maisonnal’s old record of (15).

The second squad got a lot of starts near the end of the season thanks to fixture congestion and their place in the table secure. There was a mix of needing to rest starters and wanting to see what they had in younger players, basically it was a tryout for next year. Despite the defensive issues it looks like Evra has some real winners on his hands, the gamble on Mauro Amorim seems to have paid off. While Manchester United’s Dillon Hoogewerf never seemed to settle in Amorim flourished with Younes Boussif, his (14) goals led the team and his (6) assists helped make them even more dangerous on the attack. Pablo Sultuane even managed to do better than Aliou Traoré in less games, likely making the best of Dennis Waidner dumping crosses into the box on the way to (10) assists.

Cristian Ferreira had a down season, a dangerous thing with Boussif looking very good, and mostly gathered assists on corners. He had more assists to defenders than he did Hoogewerf, that relationship never really took off after he played so well with Lamine Diaby-Fadiga.

It’s hard to find too many problems this year, RB Paris finished with the second best offense in Ligue 1 with (68) goals scored and the fifth best defense with (31) allowed. They did finish first in yellows with (126), but luckily only (2) of them turned into reds. Improving on all of those numbers will go a long way to staying in the European competition discussion.

It may have been the rumors of a new stadium, but three years into the Red Bull era in Paris a small fan revolt has come forward to protest team ownership. There were always fans that had an issue with Red Bull taking over, as seen by a sudden drop in attendance during the first season and a rather wide swathe of the fans still clinging to their Paris FC apparel, but the recent movement has become more visible and more focused.

When RB Paris first made the switch “Pas Mon Équipe” signs and small banners were popular, but they seemed to fade out as the disgruntled fans walked away or became converts when the club won Ligue 2 and promotion. Attendance did pick up toward the end of the first season as the team kept winning with attractive football, but it wasn’t until recently that the number of fans started to rise and exceed expected levels. With rumors of a new ground swirling and growing interest, it seems that former fans have taken to opportunity to voice their concerns. The largest groups, aptly named Conneries Rouge and Foutaise Rouge, have revived the Pas Mon Équipe motto with larger banners before games and even a few inside the stadium.

“Is this what we want our clubs to be? Is this French football? Even PSG had the good sense to keep the name, not Qatar Saint-German. I’ve lost my club, it was stolen from me, from all of us” said a fan who asked to remain anonymous.

His sentiments are familiar among the protestors, but for the most part the Paris FC apparel has vanished inside the stadium. On some level the Paris media appears eager to report on a team other than PSG, the David Vs. Goliath angle appears popular but protestors might say Goliath Vs. Goliath is probably more appropriate.

With all of the protests serving as a backdrop to the summer, Red Bull BmgH continues to charge ahead as scheduled. The previously announced infrastructure improvements come with some staffing hires and investment in scouting. Rui Pedro Silva has been hired to the scouting department, the Portuguese scout has a great deal of experience to bring with him along with contacts in Portugal, Germany, and Brazil. The club also added Levi ven der Heijden, a young Dutch scout with experience in Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, and Germany. As the club continues to have issues recruiting French players they are working on strengthening their pipeline to other talent rich countries like Belgium, Germany, Portugal, and Netherlands. There are reports that RB Paris have also allocated more money to their scouting department so they can be active in central Europe with both senior and youth players.

Congratulations on another good season with some impressive performances along the way. Great to see that the board are reinvesting the money once again, and despite the protests I'm sure the large majority still stand behind all the positive moves!

France Football’s Laurent Grandcolas had the opportunity to sit down with Red Bull GmbH Head of Football Oliver Mintzlaff to discuss the success and future of Red Bull Paris.

So far RB Paris appears to be a success, did you think things were going to go so well this quickly?

Yes, things are going well for the club. Patrice [Evra] has done an incredible job on and off the pitch, I also have to give credit to management for finding the kind of players we need to reach this level. We definitely did not predict this kind of rise, we put together a plan to reach Ligue 1 in three to five years, the Champions League was closer to ten years. It has certainly accelerated our outlook.

Red Bull has been expanding rapidly along with the recent purchase of Paris FC. With six clubs in your network, where does Paris fall in the hierarchy?

We don’t really like to think of it like that, the league really sets where each one sits. Leipzig is likely seen as the primary club, but that has more to do with the Bundesliga and the incredible job the organization is doing there. Getting a team in Ligue 1 was a big opportunity, it’s up to management and the players where they see themselves. If they do well and people gravitate toward them, if they play attractive football, they decide where they want to be.

Every club is familiar with disgruntled fan groups, but I would have to think that Red Bull is much more familiar with it than most. How do you feel about the protest surrounding RB Paris?

Yes, it’s unfortunate. The incidents in Germany are a separate issue, the 50+1 rule has caused a more… spirited, let’s call it that, response to our organization. Of course, we feel that much of the criticism is unfounded. People had issues with PSG, when Qatar came in, with Manchester City when UAE bought it, but now nobody is complaining. It takes time, people are resistant to change at times but eventually they come around. I would like to think with the things the club is building, on and off the field, the protests will die down.


So far RB Paris hasn’t had much success recruiting in France, most of their signings are not French nationals. Is this intentional, or is the club working toward improving on this issue?

Red Bull isn’t particularly preoccupied with signing French players, but the country is rich with talent and we would like to tap into that. I think as the club gains recognition we will be able to attract more of these players, giving fans a local player to cheer on would be a natural bonus. We would like to be a top recruiting team in the France/Belgium/Germany region, but we aren’t the first team to see the value in players from this area.

What role do you see for the Red Bull Academy, and how have you approached the issues associated with recruiting youth players from Africa?

Yes, the club is very concerned about those issues. Working with Patrice, that issue came up, and if there was a way to clean up the abuses by ourselves we would do it. Internally, we have taken to placing safeguards against dealing with outside organizations and agents who don’t have the player’s interests in mind. We are also making the academy available for youth players who don’t continue on with us, really any youth from outside the country are provided with relocation services and help finding a new club if needed. We can’t have players, children really, being put out on the streets with no support.

Where do you see the club in five years?

Winning the Champions League! Honestly, it’s hard to tell with the current pace of things. If RB Paris can stay near the top of Ligue 1, I have to say winning the league needs to be the milestone. A more realistic response would be continental competition contention every year. It’s going to be hard to catch up to clubs like Lyon, Marseille, LOSC Lille, and AS Monaco not to mention PSG. They have a substantial head start, but this past season shows we have the ability to get into that tier.

A ticket to the Champions League brings some additional revenue but very small changes to their uniform design. While most teams would use the opportunity to secure more lucrative kit sponsors Red Bull GmbH continues to hold their position, which will likely never change, but the club has reported a modest uptick in sales.


The design move for 2023-24 is a subtle vertical striping, the kit colors remain mostly the same with the away blue-gold returning to the “traditional” Red Bull blue after their “Sugar Free” look last year. The black third kit is back as well after a rotation through a few other colors.

A nice insight into the club and how they view themselves to this point, with the monumental success since Evra's arrival.