Les Voisins: Paris FC and Paris Saint-Germain reunited after 53 years

Everyone has seen the photo do the rounds on social media: the iconic Parc des Princes stadium next to the Jean-Bouin Stadium only a street away. For the first time since the 1989-1990 season, two Paris-based sides will be featuring in France's top tier. For Paris FC, it marks a return to the top flight of French football after a 46-year absence.

The south-west of the city will now be home to not one, but two Ligue 1 McDonald's clubs for the 2025-2026 season. Nestled between the affluent Auteuil neighborhood and one of the Capital's massive green spaces in the Bois de Boulogne is the Parc des Princes and Stade Jean-Bouin.

The 20,000 capacity home of Rugby club Stade Français will be Paris FC's home ground next season in their first campaign in the elite. Having already provided a home for FC Versailles this season, and Red Star FC in the 2016-2017 season: Stade Jean-Bouin is no stranger to hosting teams from the region in need of a fit and proper home ground. This will be the first time that the stadium will feature in France's top flight.

The stadium has always historically been adjacent to the Parc des Princes since its construction and inauguration in 1926 - when it was originally conceived as an Athletics and Rugby ground.

PSG and Paris FC: A linked history

Paris Football Club were founded in 1969 with the vision of becoming the 'Grande club du capital' and quickly merged with Division 2 side Stade Saint-Germain to take a spot in the French football pyramid. Stade Saint-Germain was a club 15km to the west of Paris situated in the town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the birthplace of French King Louis XIV. The name of the new entity would be what we recognize today as Paris Saint-Germain.

This entity would split in 1972, with the city's mayorship unhappy that their capital club was playing in the suburbs. Paris Football Club would continue to play in Division 1, moving to the Parc des Princes, whereas Paris Saint-Germain was administratively relegated to the third tier.

This was, ironically, until PSG were promoted to the first division the same season that PFC were relegated in 1974, and took ownership of the Parc des Princes and their now-habitual spot as the dominant force in the French capital. Paris FC saw its entire professional structure taken over by a revived project for Racing Club de Paris, and were relegated to the fourth division. Since then it has been a long journey to return back to professional football, and then back to Ligue 1.

Paris FC and Paris Saint-Germain could be characterised as two brothers that were separated at birth. Next season, the two clubs will be the closest they've been since they were the same entity back in 1969.

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