LE SCAN SPORT – According to The Republicthe president of Real Madrid would not have really treated the PSG delegation before the match between the two clubs on Wednesday.
It’s no secret. Since the Superligue earthquake last year, the leaders of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have maintained a difficult relationship. Before 8e first leg of the Champions League, on February 15 in Paris, the traditional pre-match lunch between the bosses of the two clubs took place in an icy atmosphere.
Read alsoAt PSG, the big cleaning after the sinking
Invited by Nasser Al Khelaïfi to the Pavyllon restaurant, Florentino Pérez had landed in the starred establishment at 8e district almost half an hour late. The other two representatives of Real, José Angel Sanchez, general manager, and Emilio Butragueño, director of communication, had arrived well on time. Alternating warm and cold for an hour and a half, the leaders had still exchanged gifts. Pérez had offered “NAK” a model of the Bernabeu stadium as well as a jersey and would have received in return a miniature Eiffel Tower.
pettiness
As is customary, the Spanish club returned the invitation to the Parisian leaders by inviting them to a meal this Wednesday before the return match. Appointment was given at the Zalacaín, a top-of-the-range establishment located halfway between the Prado Museum and the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. In this place which presents itself as “a benchmark for high gastronomy since 1973”, the bill can quickly climb when it comes to food (count €39.50 for a steak tartare, €46.50 for a fillet of sole). On the other hand, the drinks will not have ruined the Madrid club. According to The Republic, Pérez would thus have served two bottles of wine at 9 euros each to his Parisian guests. Nasser Al Khelaïfi, who does not drink alcohol, did not touch it, tells the Italian daily which sees in this pettiness a “quasi-humiliationfrom Pérez, one of the masterminds of the Superleague project, to his pro-UEFA counterpart.
«Everybody knows we hardly have a relationshipexplained the president of PSG on Canal + about Pérez before the first leg. I’m not going to go back over what happened. We have very different opinions, mentality and goals. I believe in football that is accessible to everyone, from the smallest to the biggest club. That’s what I believe in, and they don’t think the same.” The soap opera around the future of Kylian Mbappé, announced close to Real Madrid and the incredible scenario of Wednesday’s match are not likely to heat up the exchanges.
