PSG & Newcastle: a shared history

Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United recently became acquainted, facing each other in European competition for the first time during the 2023/24 season, however, the pair have a more long-standing history when it comes to players who have played for both sides.

A former Newcastle player in the building at Le Campus

One of the most emblematic players to have played for both clubs is certainly Yohan Cabaye. He is perhaps the most recognisable and most impactful players of that famous 'French Revolution' on Tyneside during the early 2010s. The elegant midfielder became a fan favourite at St James' Park. In 88 appearances for the Premier League club between 2011 and 2013, he scored 17 goals and registered 10 assists, strong figures for a midfielder whose value was also measured by the way that he made that side tick.

His performances for Newcastle earned him a move back to his native France back in January 2014. The former Lille man would spend just 18 months at the Parc des Princes, playing 52 times. But it was a trophy-laiden 18 months as he would win the Ligue 1 McDonald's title in both seasons, whilst also winning the Coupe de la Ligue twice and the Coupe de France once.

Short but sweet you could say, but Cabaye had a taste for more and he would return to PSG post-retirement. Since 2024, the former France international has been the director of the club's prestigious academy, helping players such as Senny Mayulu, Ibrahim Mbaye, and Quentin Ndjantou graduate from the academy to the first team.

Happy Birthday Yohan Cabaye! 🥳

Our former midfielder and current sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain’s Youth Academy is celebrating his 40th birthday today. 🎂🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/tR8OFM5YZz
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 14, 2026

The other player to have played for both Newcastle and the reigning European champions in the 2010s was Hatem Ben Arfa. The winger enamoured and frustrated in equal measure at both clubs. Ben Arfa would arrive on Tyneside one year before being joined by Cabaye and before his departure in 2013, he would make 24 goal contributions. He would rock up at the Parc des Princes in 2016, but he would make just 30 appearances for the club, scoring just three goals and registering two assists.

Of the players to have played for both of these clubs, none made more appearances for Les Parisiens than Fabrice Pancrate. He played 113 times for the club between 2004 and 2008 but having made the switch across the Channel in 2009, he would make just 16 appearances for the Premier League side.

That is in contrast to Habib Beye, whose passage at PSG can be largely forgotten. He came through the club's academy but would not make a first-team appearance. But he made a big impression in England, playing for Newcastle between 2007 and 2009. He would have stints at Aston Villa and Doncaster Rovers before concluding his career, but not before having a rather catchy and iconic name created in his honour.

The player who played for both clubs to have made the most appearances for Newcastle is Laurent Robert, perhaps the most famous player in the Premier League side's history. Having joined in 2001, he would make 162 appearances, scoring 27 goals and registering 32 assists.

And the most recent player to have played for both? Georginio Wijnalbum, who played for the Toon back in 2015, before joining PSG in 2021. He would play just 31 times for Les Parisiens and he now plays his football in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq.

Full list of players to have played for Newcastle and PSG

Hatem Ben Arfa
Habib Beye
Yohan Cabaye
Sylvain Distin
Didier Domi
David Ginola
Alain Goma
Hélder
Fabrice Pancrate
Laurent Robert
David Rozehnal
Georginio Wijnalbum

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