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The last decade has seen the rise of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain as European football powerhouses. Both clubs were in a similar stagnation before oil money helped them achieve domestic dominance. Both clubs have also been desperately craving European success over the last few seasons.
Manchester City defeated PSG 2-1 in an entralling first leg of a UEFA Champions League semi-final of the at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday. The second leg takes places next week in Manchester.
Four players who played for Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain
Over the years, several notable names have played for both these famous European sides. On that note, let's take a look at four famous players who have played for both clubs.
#4 Sylvain Distin
The football world took notice of Sylvain Distin when a lowly FC Guengnon defeated Paris Saint-Germain to win the 2000 French Cup. The Frenchman's impressive performance for Les Forgerons saw PSG sign the defender in 2000.
Distin's time in Paris was a short one. The defender played just one season in Paris and spent his second one on loan at Newcastle United. During his only season with PSG, the defender made 45 appearances.
The Frenchman moved to Manchester City in 2002 after an impressive spell with Newcastle United. Distin had an impressive debut season, winning the 2002-03 Manchester City Player-of-the-Year Award. He became captain of the side the following season and formed a decent defensive partnership with Richard Dunne. The Frenchman left the club on a free in 2007 after 206 appearances and six goals.
Sylvain Distin went onto have spells with Portsmouth, Everton and Bournemouth before retiring in 2016.
#2 Ali Benarbia
The Algerian was the best player in the French League when he moved to Paris Saint Germain in 1999. Benarbia had recently won the league with Bordeaux and was primed to take the young PSG squad to their first league title in six years. Appointed captain on his arrival, the midfielder led PSG to second, finishing seven points behind AS Monaco.
Benarbia spent another disappointing season with the Parisians before moving to Manchester City in 2001. In his two seasons in Paris, the Algerian made 62 appearances and scored two goals. He was also part of the squad that won the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Despite his success in France, Benarbia was a relatively unknown figure when he arrived at Maine Road in 2001. Brought to the club by Kevin Keegan, Benarbia made an immediate impact on the Manchester City squad. The Algerian quickly became a cult figure at Maine Road through his performances.
With Benarbia, Manchester City made a quick return to the Premier League. At 34 and past his best, the Algerian couldn't cope with the pace of the English top division, however. Ali Benarbia played the final game of his Manchester City career against Barcelona during the inaugural match at their new City of Manchester Stadium (known as Etihad today).
During his short spell, the Algerian made 77 appearances and scored 11 times for the Citizens. He also led the club to the First Division title in 2002 and was part of the 2001-02 PFA First Division Team of the Year. Benarbia went onto play for Al-Rayyan and Qatar SC before retiring in 2006.
#3 George Weah
Born in Liberia, George Weah moved to Europe after getting spotted by Arsene Wenger. The Liberian moved to AS Monaco after several seasons in the Liberian Premier League. The striker's impressive performances for Monegasques saw PSG signing the striker in 1992 after four seasons with AS Monaco.
The Liberian proved to be the missing piece for PSG as they won their first league title in 11 years. Weah also went onto help the club to two French Cups and the French League Cup before moving to AC Milan in 1995. During his three seasons, the striker made 138 appearances and scored 55 goals.
Weah was past his prime when he joined Manchester City in 2000. The Liberian had a brief stay at Maine Road. The striker made just nine appearances for the Citizens and scored four goals. The lack of starts saw the Liberian terminating his contract with Manchester City just two months after joining the club. Weah moved onto Marseille and later Al Jazira before retiring in 2003.
#1 Nicolas Anelka
The young striker moved to PSG in 1995 and made his debut for the club at 16. He made just 12 appearances for the them before catching the eye of Arsene Wenger.
The striker returned to PSG four years after leaving the club. By then, Anelka had won the Champions League, Premier League, and the FA Cup. The striker's second spell started with much promise but fizzled out towards the end of the season. Nicolas Anelka left the club in 2002 after two disappointing seasons with PSG. In his two spells, the striker made 68 appearances and scored 19 goals.
Anelka joined Manchester City in 2002 as the club's record signing. The striker had an impressive debut season, including the opener in the last ever Manchester derby at Maine Road. He also scored the goal that handed Jose Mourinho the only defeat of his debut season at Chelsea.
The Frenchman spent two-and-a-half seasons with Manchester City before moving to Fenerbahce in 2005. During his spell, Anelka made 103 appearances and scored 45 goals for the Citizens.
The journeyman striker went on to play for three more Premier League clubs, Juventus and Shanghai Shenhua, before retiring in 2015 with ISL side Mumbai City.
