There are some names you simply cannot forget. Names that echo through the generations, in the stands of a stadium or during a conversation amongst friends. Names that have changed the history of their sport. Some for their trophy haul, others for their style of play. Mikkel Hansen falls into both categories. Beyond the 21 trophies he has won in ten seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, the former Danish international is still remembered by everyone today for his goals.
Among the long list, there’s one that really sticks in the mind: that cannonball of a shot on the buzzer in Montpellier and the explosion of joy from Nikola Karabatic, Elohim Prandi and the rest on the bench… The images flash by as if the match had only just ended. The buzzer at the Sud de France Arena still echoes in our heads.
Goals that have gone down in the club’s history. And here's one of the many marks Mikki left when he departed in 2022: Ten years earlier, on Monday 20 August, he began his journey with Les Rouge et Bleu. A few weeks earlier, Luc Abalo and Samuel Honrubia had already joined the ranks of a squad that was constantly improving and well on its way to forging the dynasty we know today. He was, without a doubt, the leader of that squad. Named the world’s best player in 2011, the iconic number 24 took the capital club to a whole new level.
From Paris Saint-Germain’s first-ever French league title in 2013 to the epic journeys to Cologne to compete in the Champions League Final4, the former left-back experienced the full range of emotions during his ten years at Paris Saint-Germain. He shared both moments of joy and moments of sorrow with his team-mates and legends. From Nikola Karabatic to Daniel Narcisse, Uwe Gensheimer to Thierry Omeyer and Nedim Remili, they are all unanimous about Mikki's legacy.
As the start of the 2026–2027 season approaches, there are still seven players in squad who played alongside Mikkel Hansen in Paris: Luka Karabatic, Kamil Syprzak, Wallem Peleka, Ferran Solé, Luc Steins, Mathieu Grébille and Elohim Prandi. Prandi, in particular, spoke of his strong bond with his former team-mate, with whom he shared the left-back position for several seasons.
“We used to laugh about everything and nothing; we’d tease each other. He helped me find the calm I needed to develop. I feel he always had faith in me and guided me to greater heights; he passed on to me that ability to never be afraid to shoot, to never doubt myself, and to make passes at just the right moment. I drew inspiration from him and still do, because he remains a role model for every left-back today. I’m just as grateful to him as I am to Nikola (Karabatic).”
Elohim Prandi speaking to Eurosport on the sidelines of a match against Aalborg in March 2025.
Top scorer with 2,321 goals and the most decorated player in Paris Saint-Germain’s history, alongside Luka Karabatic (21 trophies), Mikkel Hansen has established himself as a benchmark and a household name amongst Les Rouge et Bleus' supporters. A name that can still be heard reverberating through the stands at Coubertin, like an endless echo. A number that will never be worn again, and whose shirt hangs proudly from the ceiling of the arena in the 16th arrondissement.
By a twist of fate, Paris will face Aalborg this Friday in their final pre-season friendly. Aalborg was the final stop in Mikki’s career, which came to an end at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in his home town – just like a certain Nikola Karabatic – as if by design.
