# 1978–79 Paris Saint-Germain FC season

The 1978–79 season was Paris Saint-Germain's 9th season in existence. PSG mainly played their home league games at the Parc des Princes in Paris, but twice at the Stade Bauer in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine as well, registering an average attendance of 18,550 spectators per match. The club was presided by Francis Borelli. The team was coached by player-manager Jean-Michel Larqué until August 1978. Pierre Alonzo took over as manager until November 1978, when he was replaced by Velibor Vasović. Dominique Bathenay was the team captain.

## Summary

In spite of a disappointing first season, the club gave Jean-Michel Larqué a vote of confidence in 1978–79, signing France national team mainstays Dominique Baratelli and Dominique Bathenay with the hope that PSG would finally get closer to the top of the league table. But the campaign was once again a failure. In August, following a catastrophic start to the season, Larqué stepped down to focus on his playing role at the club.
Pierre Alonzo took over until early November 1978, when he surprisingly resigned. His replacement, Velibor Vasović, had not yet arrived and PSG visited Monaco for a league match on November 4. Club president Francis Borelli named the starting lineup that day. This is the only time that PSG have played an official game without a manager on the bench. Paris lost 1–2. Carlos Bianchi managed a second consecutive Division 1 top scorer title, before switching 13th-placed Paris for French champions Strasbourg. François M'Pelé also left the club with an impressive goal tally of 97, including a club record 28 strikes in the French Cup.

## Players

    As of the 1978–79 season.

### Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | FRA | Dominique Baratelli |
| — | GK | FRA | Franck Mérelle |
| — | GK | FRA | Denis Troch |
| — | DF | FRA | Dominique Bathenay (captain) |
| — | DF | FRA | Jean-Pierre Adams |
| — | DF | ARG | Ramón Heredia |
| — | DF | FRA | Pierre Bajoc |
| — | DF | FRA | Éric Renaut |
| — | DF | FRA | Thierry Morin |
| — | DF | FRA | Jean-Marc Pilorget |
| — | DF | FRA | Franck Tanasi |
| — | DF | FRA | Philippe Jean |
| — | DF | FRA | Dominique Lokoli |
| — | DF | FRA | Philippe Col |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | FRA | Jean-Claude Lemoult |
| — | MF | FRA | Luis Fernandez |
| — | MF | FRA | François Brisson |
| — | MF | ALG | Mustapha Dahleb |
| — | MF | FRA | Jacques Laposte |
| — | MF | FRA | Jean-François Douis |
| — | MF | FRA | Armando Bianchi |
| — | MF | FRA | Jean-Michel Larqué (player-manager) |
| — | FW | ARG | Carlos Bianchi |
| — | FW | FRA | Guy Nosibor |
| — | FW | CGO | François M'Pelé |
| — | FW | FRA | Bernard Bureau |
| — | FW | FRA | Mario Mongelli |
| — | FW | FRA | Hervé Porquet |

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | FRA | Michel Bensoussan (at Paris FC) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | FRA | Lionel Justier (at Paris FC) |

## Transfers

    As of the 1978–79 season.

### Arrivals

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | FRA | Dominique Baratelli (from Nice) |
| — | GK | FRA | Franck Mérelle (from PSG Academy) |
| — | GK | FRA | Denis Troch (from Red Star) |
| — | DF | FRA | Dominique Bathenay (from Saint-Étienne) |
| — | DF | FRA | Philippe Col (from PSG Academy) |
| — | MF | FRA | Armando Bianchi (from Rouen) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | FRA | Jean-François Douis (from Rouen) |
| — | MF | FRA | Luis Fernandez (from PSG Academy) |
| — | FW | FRA | Bernard Bureau (from PSG Academy) |
| — | FW | FRA | Guy Nosibor (from Angoulême, end of loan) |
| — | FW | CMR | Jean-Pierre Tokoto (from Bordeaux, end of loan) |

### Departures

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | FRA | Michel Bensoussan (loaned to Paris FC) |
| — | GK | FRA | Daniel Bernard (to Brest) |
| — | DF | FRA | Gilles Brisson (to Toulouse) |
| — | MF | FRA | Lionel Justier (loaned to Paris FC) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | FRA | Bernard Moraly (to Paris FC) |
| — | FW | FRA | Philippe Redon (to Bordeaux) |
| — | FW | CMR | Jean-Pierre Tokoto (to Béziers) |

## Kits

French radio RTL was the shirt sponsor. French sportswear brand Le Coq Sportif was the kit manufacturer.
| Home 0 0 | Away 0 0 |

## Competitions
### Overview

| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Division 1 | 19 July 1978 | 1 June 1979 | Matchday 1 | 13th | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 59 | 66 | −7 | 036.84 |
| Coupe de France | 11 February 1979 | 25 March 1979 | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 033.33 |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | Total | 41 | 15 | 8 | 18 | 67 | 73 | −6 | 036.59 |
Source: Competitions

### Division 1
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 11 | Nancy | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 77 | 61 | +16 | 38 |
| 12 | Marseille | 38 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 50 | 55 | −5 | 37 |
| 13 | Paris Saint-Germain | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 59 | 66 | −7 | 36 |
| 14 | Bastia | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 53 | 65 | −12 | 35 |
| 15 | Nice | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 58 | 75 | −17 | 32 |

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H |
| Result | L | L | W | D | L | D | W | D | D | W | L | W | L | W | D | L | L | L | W | L | W | L | L | D | D | L | D | W | W | L | W | L | L | W | W | W | L | W |
| Position | 19 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 |

#### Matches
### Coupe de France
#### Round of 32
## Statistics

    As of the 1978–79 season.

### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Division 1 | Division 1 | Coupe de France | Coupe de France |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||
| | GK | FRA | Dominique Baratelli | 41 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Defenders ||||||||||
| | DF | FRA | Dominique Bathenay | 41 | 6 | 38 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | FRA | Jean-Marc Pilorget | 39 | 2 | 36 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | FRA | Éric Renaut | 36 | 2 | 33 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| | DF | FRA | Dominique Lokoli | 32 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | FRA | Philippe Col | 24 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | FRA | Thierry Morin | 21 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | DF | FRA | Jean-Pierre Adams | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | FRA | Philippe Jean | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | FRA | Pierre Bajoc | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | ARG | Ramón Heredia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | DF | FRA | Franck Tanasi | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Midfielders ||||||||||
| | MF | FRA | Armando Bianchi | 30 | 3 | 27 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| | MF | FRA | François Brisson | 24 | 2 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| | MF | ALG | Mustapha Dahleb | 23 | 8 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| | MF | FRA | Jean-Michel Larqué | 20 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| | MF | FRA | Jean-Claude Lemoult | 18 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | FRA | Jean-François Douis | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | MF | FRA | Jacques Laposte | 11 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | MF | FRA | Luis Fernandez | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forwards ||||||||||
| | FW | ARG | Carlos Bianchi | 39 | 32 | 36 | 27 | 3 | 5 |
| | FW | CGO | François M'Pelé | 26 | 5 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | FRA | Bernard Bureau | 19 | 5 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| | FW | FRA | Guy Nosibor | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | FRA | Hervé Porquet | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | FW | FRA | Mario Mongelli | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Competitions