Level, holding the Parisian football team (6)
I believe the answer is:
eleven
'football team' is the definition.
('eleven' can be a synonym of 'football team')
'level holding the parisian' is the wordplay.
'level' becomes 'even' ('even' can be a synonym of 'level'**).
'holding' indicates putting letters inside.
'the parisian' becomes 'le' (definite article in French).
'even' enclosing 'le' is 'ELEVEN'.
(Other definitions for eleven that I've seen before include "Smallest positive three-syllable integer" , "Number killed in the Peterloo massacre" , "Number, on a team perhaps" , "one by one?" , "Bingo's "legs"?" .)