Sylvain Armand - Career - Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain

In 2004, Armand and Nantes teammate Mario Yepes both moved to Paris Saint-Germain for approximately $ 5 million. After a very difficult season for PSG, Sylvain Armand took part in the victory of PSG in the Coupe de France in the April 2006 final against Marseille. He was then voted best player in the Paris squad for the 2006-07 season, following an amazing season (including a very important goal, against RC Lens, who will go on to win the championship that year).

Season in 2007-08, Sylvain has a little trouble at the start of the championship. Leading him to lose his starting squad status for a game against Valencienne, in favor of youngster Mamadou Sakho (who will also become the youngest captain in the history of the PSG at 17). Sylvain then gradually regained his best form, game after game. He gave two consecutive assists: (both to Amara Diané at PSG - Lens in Ligue 1 (3-0) then against Valenciennes, in the Coupe de la Ligue (4-0), 3 days later).

Rarely injured and suspended, he has missed only eight championship game in between seasons 2004 and 2008 all the while playing in different positions on the pitch (left side, center back, defensive midfielder and left midfielder).

With Paris, he won the 2006 and 2010 Coupe de France and the 2008 Coupe de la Ligue. The club's league performances were much less satisfactory, with a series of mid and low table finishes between 2004 and 2008. Even in the club's worst seasons between 2006 and 2008, Armand established himself as a reliable performer and remained loyal to Paris Saint-Germain in spite of interest from other French clubs. During this barren spell, he formed an efficient partnership on the left flank with Jérôme Rothen, and they were a major satisfaction in an otherwise depressing side.

Since the arrival of new coach Antoine Kombouaré in 2009, Armand has been deployed in positions other than left-back, playing in central defence and even as a defensive midfielder when needed. On 17 April 2011, he reached a new landmark when he made his 319th game for Paris Saint-Germain, thus overtaking legendary goalkeeper Bernard Lama's record. After Kombouaré's replacement by former A.C. Milan and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, Armand struggled to be a regular in the pitch. Especially after the influx of new players brought in by the club's new Qatari owners.

Although he thought about leaving the team at the end of the season. He chose to remain with PSG for the season 2012-13 in the hope of finally winning the championship. On May 12 2013, 2 games before the end of the season, Paris Saint Germain secured their 3rd Ligue 1 Champions title, 19 years after their last championship win and 9 years after Sylvain Armand's arrival in the club.