Two seasons later, the club was relegated to the second division, which coincided with Paris Saint-Germain's rise to top-flight and the installation in the Parc des Princes.
In 1983, Paris FC, then led by the industrialist Jean-Luc Lagardère, merged with Racing Club de France.
After a successful 2014–15 campaign, the club gained promotion to Ligue 2, the French second division, alongside its local rival Red Star F.C.
Paris FC were then administratively promoted to Ligue 2 after SC Bastia were demoted to the third division for financial irregularities.
[2] In the 2018–19 season, Paris finished 4th and contested the play-offs against RC Lens, but lost the penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw.
[4] In July 2020, a new strategic economic partner joined Paris FC to support the club's development and ambitions: the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The deal was completed with a capital investment to improve the finances of the club, giving the kingdom 20 percent of the equity.
The Council of Paris accused the kingdom of distracting the general public from its abuses via a popular sport like football, committing a practice known as ‘sportswashing’.
The council also demanded the release of detainees put on death row by Bahrain on the basis of confessions acquired via torture methods.
In the amendment, all the issues were kept in mind to ensure the inclusion of an “organization of additional actions to raise awareness of human rights and fight against all forms of discrimination”.
Besides, the mention of private financial partnerships in the amendment was believed to prompt a withdrawal of the “Explore Bahrain” advertising panels in the Charléty stadium.
[12] However, after that, the two clubs' fortunes varied drastically, and as PSG's popularity rose, PFC fell into obscurity and languished in the amateur divisions.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.