Arnault-backed Paris FC earn promotion and eye capital showdown with PSG

Paris FC clinched promotion to Ligue 1 on Friday night with a 1-1 draw away at Martigues, capping a remarkable rise just six months after a joint takeover involving Europe's richest man, Bernard Arnault, and energy drink giant Red Bull.

The result ensures Paris will have two teams in the French top flight for the first time since 1989, with Paris FC joining perennial champions Paris Saint-Germain for what promises to be a compelling city rivalry next season.

Pierre-Yves Hamel gave Paris FC the lead in the 49th minute, before Martigues equalised from a corner ten minutes later. With third-placed Metz drawing 3-3 at home to Rodez, the point was enough to guarantee Paris FC a second-place finish in Ligue 2 with one match remaining. They now sit two points behind leaders Lorient and could still claim the title when they host Ajaccio in their final fixture.

The promotion is a rapid return on investment for the Arnault family, who took a majority stake in the club last november. Bernard Arnault, the founder of LVMH — which owns brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Moët & Chandon — brought in his eldest son, Antoine, to oversee the project.

"It is an ambitious project but not an unrealistic one," Antoine Arnault said after the takeover.

Red Bull, which holds minority stakes in clubs across Europe, the Americas and Asia, also joined the ownership group, acquiring a little over 10 percent. The Austrian company has brought in Jürgen Klopp as a consultant, and the Liverpool manager made headlines during a recent visit to Paris FC's current home, the Stade Charléty.

"It's a stadium where you cannot create an atmosphere," Klopp said of the athletics arena in southern Paris. "It's been a long time since I watched a game from that far away."

That will soon change. Paris FC plan to relocate to Stade Jean-Bouin, a 19,600-capacity rugby ground located directly across the street from PSG's Parc des Princes. The venue briefly hosted the historic Red Star FC a decade ago but could now become the battleground for a new Parisian derby.

While the move to PSG's doorstep might seem confrontational, Antoine Arnault insists there is no animosity.

"You will never hear me say anything negative about PSG," he said, instead focusing on Paris FC's goal of tapping into the capital's deep pool of footballing talent.

"We want to build a team where we will have five, six, seven or even eight players who have come through the youth academy," said Arnault, who is joined in the project by his siblings.

Elsewhere in Ligue 1 on friday, another billionaire-owned club, Nice, returned to the Champions League places with a 1-0 win at home to Reims. Morgan Sanson scored the winner in the 15th minute, just a week after bagging a brace in their surprise victory over PSG.

Nice's end-of-season form is good news for British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has owned the club since 2019 and recently acquired a minority stake in Manchester United.