THE PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN WOMEN’S TEAM DISCOVER QATAR ON A UNique TRIP
Paris, January, 4, 2024: Five Paris Saint-Germain players – Grace Geyoro, Jackie Groenen, Elisa De Almeida, Korbin Albert and Sakina Karchaoui – travelled to Qatar to explore its rich culture and experience first-hand the country’s enthusiasm for Paris Saint-Germain.
The trip to Doha, the bustling capital of Qatar, marked the start of the new year for our players. On January 3, they kicked off their trip with an exclusive photo shoot at the Qatar National Museum, wearing the fourth jersey of the 2023/2024 season for the first time. The distinctive sand-coloured architecture of this iconic venue, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, provided the perfect setting to capture the innovative and subtle design of the new jersey. It will be unveiled worldwide at the end of January 2024.
The players then followed a guided tour of the museum’s various galleries to discover the history of the Emirate, from the emergence of its first cities to its evolution through the great historical periods.
The group then split in two to explore the Qatari peninsula. Grace Geyoro, Sakina Karchaoui and Jackie Groenen explored artist Olafur Eliasson’s impressive site-specific work in the desert north of Al Zubarah, entitled “Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day”. Launched in 2022, this artistic installation questions the link between the perception of the world and reality, while raising awareness of the beauty of the environment in a context of climate emergency. This immersion in the heart of sandy stretches of desert as far as the eye can see, where animal tracks, desert vegetation and rock formations stretch for miles, gave our players a moment out of time in preparation for their upcoming matches. Then, Sakina Karchaoui and Jackie Groenen continued their cultural immersion in the country on a tour organized by Qatar Creates, visiting the Museum of Islamic Art, famous for its architecture designed by I.M. Pei, who is also responsible for the glass pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre in Paris. Located in the heart of the Arab world, this cultural center is the largest museum of Islamic art in the region and in the world, where Islamic culture, art and history are cultivated and preserved.
For their part, Elisa De Almeida and Korbin Albert embarked on thrilling experiences at the Winter Wonderland theme park and Beach Club B12. These venues offer unique cultural and unusual experiences in the region.
At the end of the day, Grace Geyoro join Elisa De Almeida and Korbin Albert gathered at the University of Doha for Science and Technology for a 100% women’s training session with the PSG Academy Qatar girls’ teams. Every week, over 2,000 children benefit from the Club’s state-of-the-art facilities and training, a valuable opportunity to develop local footballing talent and promote the Paris Saint-Germain core values of excellence, teamwork and determination. To round off their Qatar adventure in style, the players enjoyed an exceptional dinner on Al Maha Island with inspirational Qatari athletes – Mariam Farid (400m hurdles), Lulwa Al-Marri (Triathlete/Cyclist), Nada Mohammed Wafa Arakji (swimmer) and Dana Dan (boxer). The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss women’s sport, the challenges faced by this generation of sportswomen, and plans to further strengthen the ties between Paris and Doha. This exclusive moment bringing their stay to a fitting close with legendary Qatari hospitality.
Grace GEYORO, captain of Paris Saint-Germain : “Between dribbling with the girls from the PSG Academy and discovering Qatar’s unique culture, our trip to Doha will be unforgettable, marked by encounters, whether with the athletes at dinner or with the Academy players. Together with the team, we are proud to be able to unveil the 4th jersey of the 2023/2024 for the first time with a shooting in Doha.”
This trip to Qatar is in line with Paris Saint-Germain’s desire to strengthen its relationships with its partners, including Visit Qatar, to explore new horizons and create unique moments with its supporters around the world. It also reaffirms Paris Saint-Germain’s unwavering commitment to the development of women’s soccer, testifying to its dedication to a global sporting vision marked by innovation.
About the Paris Saint-Germain women’s section
The women’s section of Paris Saint-Germain was opened in 1971, one year after the Club was founded. On its 50th anniversary, the team won the French championship for the first time in its history. For several years now, the Club has been competing at the highest European level. Les Parisiennes reached the Champions League final in 2015 and 2017, and reached the last four in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The team is made up of talented players representing 8 nationalities, including Frenchwomen Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Grace Geyoro and Sakina Karchaoui, Dutchwoman Lieke Martens and Ana Vitoria, a young Brazilian. This season, 10 players in the professional squad are graduates of the Paris Saint-Germain training center. The women are also very committed to the Paris Saint-Germain Foundation, which for the past 23 years has been developing large-scale programs for children in the Paris region, France and around the world. The ten partners of the Paris Saint-Germain women’s team are Nike, Qatar Airways, Ooredoo, QNB, Visit Rwanda, Orange, Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Deloitte and Amos, Visit Qatar, Yassir, Paris Baguette, Therabody.
