[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header-nav":3,"footer-nav":29,"article-psg-champions-league-retention-greatness-caveats":82,"category-counts-nav":94,"related-psg-champions-league-retention-greatness-caveats":105},[4,8,11,14,17,20,23,26],{"label":5,"to":6,"exact":7},"Home","\u002F",true,{"label":9,"to":10},"World Cup","\u002Fworldcup",{"label":12,"to":13},"Standings","\u002Fstandings",{"label":15,"to":16},"Football","\u002Fcategory\u002Ffootball",{"label":18,"to":19},"Basketball","\u002Fcategory\u002Fbasketball",{"label":21,"to":22},"Tennis","\u002Fcategory\u002Ftennis",{"label":24,"to":25},"F1","\u002Fcategory\u002Ff1",{"label":27,"to":28},"Long Reads","\u002Fcategory\u002Flong-reads",{"brand":30,"columns":32,"tagline":80,"copyright":81},{"description":31},"In-depth sports journalism covering football, basketball, tennis, F1, and beyond. Daily analysis, long reads, and expert opinion.",[33,51,59],{"heading":34,"links":35},"Leagues",[36,39,42,45,48],{"label":37,"to":38},"Premier League","\u002Ftag\u002Fpremier-league",{"label":40,"to":41},"La Liga","\u002Ftag\u002Fla-liga",{"label":43,"to":44},"NBA","\u002Ftag\u002Fnba",{"label":46,"to":47},"Formula 1","\u002Ftag\u002Fformula-1",{"label":49,"to":50},"Champions League","\u002Ftag\u002Fchampions-league",{"heading":52,"links":53},"Content",[54,56,57],{"label":55,"to":16},"Analysis",{"label":27,"to":28},{"label":58,"to":16},"Data & Stats",{"heading":60,"links":61},"Company",[62,65,68,71,74,77],{"label":63,"to":64},"Terms of Service","\u002Fservice",{"label":66,"to":67},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy",{"label":69,"to":70},"Editorial Policy","\u002Feditorial",{"label":72,"to":73},"Contact Us","\u002Fcontact",{"label":75,"to":76},"About Us","\u002Fabout",{"label":78,"to":79},"Website Disclaimer","\u002Fdisclaimer","Built for the love of sport","© SportPulse. All rights reserved.",{"title":83,"slug":84,"category":15,"badge":55,"author":85,"excerpt":86,"date":87,"readTime":88,"image":89,"imageAlt":83,"tags":90,"body":92,"_path":93},"PSG Join The Greats With Another UCL Title, But Questions Linger","psg-champions-league-retention-greatness-caveats","Alex Steward","PSG retained the Champions League after a penalty-shootout win over Arsenal, but their domestic dominance raises uncomfortable questions.","2026-06-10","2 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002F13795674650fd22c5ee6e300fb104224233e226d\u002F0_0_4934_3948\u002Fmaster\u002F4934.png?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=1f57a2c92f3ea787cedf639067e22d80",[49,91],"Ligue 1","## The Road To History\nPSG became the **first team since Real Madrid's three-peat** from 2016 to 2018 to retain the Champions League, edging Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. No ordinary side defends this trophy. The Parisians join **an exclusive pantheon** where only greatness resides.\n\nThe final itself might have lacked the ruthlessness of their prior matches, but the aggregate story of their campaign leaves no doubt about their quality.\n\n## A Campaign Of Dominance\nBefore the final, PSG dismantled Europe's elite with frightening efficiency.\n\n### The Knockout Gauntlet\n- A **5-2 first-leg win** over Chelsea, followed by a nonchalant 3-0 at home to complete an **8-2 aggregate rout**.\n- A **4-0 aggregate beating of Liverpool** in the quarter-finals that flattered the English side.\n- A **six-goal exhibition against Bayern Munich** in the semi-finals, winning by a scoreline that felt narrower than the performance.\n\n> \"No bad side has ever won the European Cup or Champions League, but only great sides have ever retained it.\" — the maxim that now defines PSG\n\nThe team didn't just win; they dictated terms, as if boredom was their only opponent. Chelsea's second-leg loss saw **three goals scored almost at will** by a side that looked like it had shifted into cruise control.\n\n## The Arsenal Final: Greater Resistance\nArsenal pushed PSG far harder than Inter did in the previous year's final. A **penalty shootout** is always a cruel decider, but the 1-1 draw after extra time showed a vulnerability rarely seen in earlier rounds.\n\nYet, a shootout victory still counts. And the fact that PSG entered the final having scored **13 goals in three knockout ties** against England's finest underscores their firepower.\n\n### The Numbers Behind The Glory\n- **18 goals** scored in the knockout stages alone\n- Conceded only **3** before the final\n- Won **6 of 7** knockout matches across both title runs\n\n## The Uncomfortable Truth\nFor all the on-pitch majesty, the origin of PSG's wealth and its impact on Ligue 1 cannot be ignored. The club's **Qatari-backed largesse** has turned the French top flight into a one-team procession, raising questions about competitive integrity.\n\nWhile we marvel at the football, the domestic landscape sits in their long shadow. Other French clubs cannot compete financially, and the league title has become an inevitability rather than a contest.\n\nThis Champions League dynasty will be remembered. But the conversation around how it was built will follow them forever.","\u002Farticles\u002Fpsg-champions-league-retention-greatness-caveats",[95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104],"analysis","basketball","cricket","f1","football","general","golf","mma","long-reads","tennis",[106,117,129],{"id":107,"stem":107,"path":108,"title":109,"category":15,"badge":55,"badgeType":110,"author":111,"authorRole":112,"authorInitials":113,"date":87,"readTime":114,"image":115,"imageAlt":109,"tags":37,"excerpt":116},"raya-golden-glove-arsenal-title-2025-26","\u002Farticles\u002Fraya-golden-glove-arsenal-title-2025-26","Raya's Golden Glove hat-trick anchors Arsenal's title charge","category","Alex Turner","SportPulse Contributor","AT","3 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002F2f2ce07eae3243a59cc7e92f496163c8e1329b2e\u002F0_0_5000_4000\u002Fmaster\u002F5000.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=5aa52dabf59da50723f161b7c3fe8300","David Raya claimed a third consecutive Golden Glove with 19 clean sheets as Arsenal ended their wait, while Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes starred.",{"id":118,"stem":118,"path":119,"title":120,"category":15,"badge":121,"badgeType":110,"author":122,"authorRole":112,"authorInitials":123,"date":124,"readTime":125,"image":126,"imageAlt":120,"tags":127,"excerpt":128},"national-league-clubs-reject-fa-academy-proposal","\u002Farticles\u002Fnational-league-clubs-reject-fa-academy-proposal","52 Clubs Revolt Against FA Academy Plan","Feature","Maya Chen","MC","2026-06-18","1 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F0111\u002Flive\u002F183bcde0-6569-11f1-8e1d-bbbb1017d210.jpg","Women's National League, FA Women's National League","A coalition of 52 Women's National League clubs demands the FA scrap its proposal to inject top-tier academy teams into their pyramid.",{"id":130,"stem":130,"path":131,"title":132,"category":15,"badge":55,"badgeType":110,"author":133,"authorRole":112,"authorInitials":134,"date":135,"readTime":136,"image":137,"imageAlt":132,"tags":138,"excerpt":139},"saka-england-training-ghana-world-cup-boost-tuchel","\u002Farticles\u002Fsaka-england-training-ghana-world-cup-boost-tuchel","Saka Trains: The Spark England's Evolution Desperately Needed","Alex Caffrey","AC","2026-06-23 05:49:39","7 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F4eda\u002Flive\u002F70789fc0-6dce-11f1-897a-fb9cd481447f.jpg","World Cup, Premier League","Bukayo Saka's return to full England training immediately transforms the tactical ceiling and psychological edge of Thomas Tuchel's side before Ghana."]