Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain meet for the first time in a competitive match on Wednesday night.
But despite a lack of previous meetings between the two clubs, there are a number of people that connect the two clubs, such as current PSG loanee Marco Asensio.
Ahead of the first leg of our UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie at Parc des Princes, we take a closer look at five players and managers who've represented both teams...
Gérard Houllier
The Frenchman’s big break in management came in 1985 when PSG lured him away from Lens, whom he’d guided to promotion and European football after years of coaching in the lower leagues. Success in the French capital was instantly obtained by Houllier in the 1985-86 season, taking the club to their first-ever Ligue 1 title.
Houllier entered English football for the first time with Liverpool in 1998, winning six honours during a six-year stay on Merseyside. Spells at Lyon and the French national team followed before the manager was appointed as Aston Villa boss in September 2010. Health issues towards the end of his only season in charge saw him step down in June 2011.
David Ginola
The suave winger brought an element of elegance to the Premier League when he signed for Newcastle United from PSG in 1995. He won the French Footballer of the Year award in their colours, alongside four domestic honours before swapping Paris for Tyneside.
He helped take the Magpies agonisingly close to the title before spending three years at Tottenham Hotspur. A move to Villa followed in July 2000, and he famously revealed his toned torso after scoring against Manchester City shortly after being accused of being overweight by boss John Gregory.
Moussa Diaby
The flying winger honed his skills in PSG’s academy before playing one full season of senior football for the club in 2018/19 and winning two trophies. Diaby left for Bayer Leverkusen and built a strong reputation for himself during four years in the Bundesliga, providing goals and assists aplenty.
His form in Germany caught the eye of Villa, who swooped to sign him in July 2023. Fifty-four appearances, ten goals and nine assists followed in his sole season in B6 as the winger helped Villa finish in the top four.
Lucas Digne
Born not far from Paris, Digne came through at Lille before returning to the capital with PSG in 2013. The left-back played his part in two Ligue 1 titles and several cup wins before going on to represent Roma, Barcelona and Everton.
Steven Gerrard made him a statement signing for Villa in January 2022 and he’s provided consistency, quality and professionalism in abundance ever since. Digne’s form in claret and blue has also helped him regain his place in the French national team.
Unai Emery
The Spaniard has had a transformative impact at Villa Park since his arrival in October 2022, delivering the club to the highest level of European football. Before joining Villa, he also worked his magic at several clubs across the continent, including PSG.
His project in Paris began after the end of a trophy-laden spell at Sevilla, and he delivered plenty of silverware to les Rouge-et-Bleu in the space of two years, winning seven honours.
