Slovan Bratislava returns to Parc des Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain after 15 years

Slovan Bratislava are set to return to the Parc des Princes in Paris after nearly 15 years, facing Paris Saint-Germain, whom the Slovak club describes as the best team in Europe and the world right now.

The match recalls the last encounters between the two teams in the 2011-2012 season, when they faced each other in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. However, the history of encounters between the two clubs goes back further, specifically to 1982, when they met in the 'Trofeo Ciudad de Palma' in the Spanish city of Mallorca.

Slovan Bratislava, alongside Paris Saint-Germain, RCD Espanyol Barcelona, and Real Mallorca, participated in the tournament at that time. Slovan, led by coach Michal Vitchan, managed to reach the final after defeating Real Mallorca 2-1 in the semi-finals, thanks to goals from Milan Luhovy and Marian Takáč, before losing the final match to Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 on August 15, 1982, settling for second place.

Youssef Harraoui, who played for Slovan Bratislava during the 1991-1992 season, is another link between the two clubs. He had previously been associated with Paris Saint-Germain, where he played mainly with the reserve team or went out on loan. Harraoui became a champion of the federal league with Slovan, being part of the famous generation led by coach Dušan Galis, and at that time, he was the only foreign professional in the team. He played 20 matches with Slovan, scoring three goals.

The last two official encounters between the teams took place in the autumn of 2011, in Group 7 of the UEFA Europa League, following Slovan Bratislava's famous achievement of eliminating AS Roma in the playoff round. The Slovak team began their matches against Paris Saint-Germain at the Pasienky Stadium on October 20, 2011, in front of 7,200 spectators.

The match ended in a goalless draw, allowing Slovan Bratislava to secure their only point in the group stage. The encounter also featured a notable incident as Paris Saint-Germain completed the match with nine players after two of their players were sent off.

The return match is scheduled for November 3, 2011, at the Parc des Princes, with an attendance of 32,000 spectators, including a large group of Slovan Bratislava fans. The Slovak team delivered a strong and balanced performance, but lost by a goal to nil scored by Argentine Javier Pastore with a volley.

After the match, Slovan Bratislava's then-coach Vladimír Weiss praised his players' performance, stating that his team handled the encounter well tactically, and that his players "left their hearts on the pitch." He also expressed regret that Juraj Halinár was unable to score.

The upcoming clash will be the fourth encounter between Slovan Bratislava and Paris Saint-Germain, following three previous meetings that ended with two wins for the French side and one draw. The Slovak club is aiming to deliver a commendable performance against the European and world champions this time, hoping to achieve a better result than in their previous visits to the French capital.