PSG only know failure in the Champions League as they crash out again

"Groundhog Day." For yet another year, and this is the 11th season since the QIA Group invested in Paris Saint-Germain with the aim of making them the Kings of Europe, the French side have once again crashed out of the Champions League. This time it was Bayern Munich, who were far superior in both the first and second legs of the tie, who put the seal on Al Khelaifi's project in Europe's top competition.

It is an elimination that extends PSG's poor record in Europe, given their theoretical potential: one final loss (2019/20), one semi-final exit (2020/21), four quarter-final defeats (2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16) and another five defeats in the last 16 (2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2021/22 and 2022/23).

Some of those defeats were particularly painful for the Parisian club as they included such heavy defeats as Barça's 6-1 comeback win at Camp Nou in the 2016/17 campaign -- six years ago today -- and defeats such as Manchester United's 3-1 win at the Parc des Princes, coming back from a 2-0 deficit at Old Trafford.

Not even the arrival of Lionel Messi last season has served to give the necessary competitive solidity to a PSG team that already had stars such as Neymar and Kylian Mbappé and that this year invested almost €150 million in search of their European dream. And a review of the annual investment in transfers can only add to PSG's sense of European failure

Summary of PSG's spending since 2012

• 2011: The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) group buys 70% of PSG.
• 2012: QIA buys the remaining 30% ownership of the Parisian club.
• 2012/13*: 151 million (Thiago Silva 42 / Lucas Moura 40 / Lavezzi 30 / Ibrahimovic 21 / Verratti 12, Van der Wiel 6 / Beckham free).
• 2013/14: 135,9 (Cavani 64,5 / Marquinhos 31,4 /Cabaye 25 / Digne 15).
• 2014/15: 49,5 (David Luiz 49,5).
• 2015/16: 116,1 (Di María 63 / Kurzawa 25 / Aurier 10 / Trapp 9,5 / Stambouli 8,6).
• 2016/17: 134,5 (Draxler 36, Guedes 30, Krychowiak 27,5 / Jesé 25, Lo Celso 10 / Meunier 6 / Ben Arfa free).
• 2017/18: 238 (Neymar 222 / Yuri Berchiche 16 / Diarra Carta free / Dani Alves free).
• 2018/19: 227 (Mbappé 145 / Leandro Paredes 40 / Kehrer 37 / Bernat 5 / Buffon free).
• 2019/20: 95 (Diallo 32 / Gueye 30 / Sarabia 18 / Keylor Navas 15)
• 2020/21: 62 (Icardi 50)
• 2021/22: 89,5 (Achraf 66,5 / Danilo 16 / Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos, Leo Messi and Donarumma all free).
• 2022/23: 147,5 (Vitinha 41,5 / Nuno Mendes 38 / Fabián Ruiz 23 / Carlos Soler 18 / Renato Sanches 15 / Mukiele 12).

(*).- Overall investment and key signings per season.