Not many teams go into their third game of the season with a brand new coach. Not many teams, though, are like Paris Saint-Germain. When Jocelyn Precheur, son of departing women's team boss Gerard, stepped into the dugout to make his managerial debut for the French giants, his upgraded role wasn't the only sign of the mayhem that often surrounds this club, either.
To his left, a banner was unveiled behind the goal that criticised Kadidiatou Diani, who departed for arch-rivals Lyon in the summer. She's one of many to take that path in recent years, and she had the last laugh just over a week ago as she and her new team emerged 1-0 winners at Parc des Princes. The result gives Lyon a head start in a title race that PSG have beaten them in just once in the last 17 seasons.
It's a chaotic and disappointing start to the new campaign, on and off the pitch, but chaos and disappointment are two things never far from this club, whether it is on the men’s side or the women’s.
There have been some weird and worrying stories to come out of PSG in recent years, but the current concerns surround the team’s inability to win trophies. Lyon continue to triumph domestically, with PSG’s best players often deciding to take the mantra of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ quite literally. In Europe, the Parisians’ wait for success goes on, with them reaching two finals - the last in 2017 - but failing to get the job done in either.
Despite the superstar talent the team so often has and despite being part of one of the richest clubs in world football, PSG seem to constantly be a mess. It’s something Lyon have taken advantage of early in this new season, though the most-recent result wasn’t much of a shock.
The turmoil going on in the French capital will be encouraging for another big club, though. On Tuesday, Manchester United will welcome PSG for the first leg of their Women’s Champions League qualifier, with the winner of the tie reaching the group stages.
The English side, making their competition debut, are huge underdogs, that’s for sure. But with PSG, there is always an element of doubt.