After March 8 (International Women’s Day), France could declare a public holiday on March 9. It would be the Day of Consolation of the Fans of the PSG. The defeat of Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 against Bayern Munich and the consequent elimination in the round of 16 of the Champions League represents his umpteenth European failure. Some setbacks that are already beginning to be a tradition, to the misfortune of the fans of the Parisian team and the joy of those who feel antipathy for this team that catapulted to the football elite at the stroke of a checkbook.
Since Qatar bought the Parisian club in 2011, PSG have always resisted the Champions. He is pursued by a legend from a cursed team in the quintessential European soccer tournament. Of the last seven editions of the Champions League, in five he was eliminated in the round of 16. Some of these eliminations were humiliating, such as Barça’s 6-1 comeback in 2017, petrified in the memory of the French and which made the word comeback in Spanish adopted in the common language of the French country. Others were tighter, such as against Bayern, in which the preponderance of collective play against the stars was reflected.
Europe is the thorn in PSG’s shoe. A stone that shakes the entire castle built by Nasser Al-Khelaifipresident of PSG, and Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund from the Gulf country. As is customary in France, after another European failure, the French press acknowledged on Wednesday its doubts about the future of this project that combines soccer, geopolitics and many petrodollars.
Doubts beyond sports
“What will Paris be like next season?” the newspaper asks. The Team. The first names mentioned are, without a doubt, sports. On one hand, the trainer Christophe Galtier. On the other, the galactic trident, Messi, Mbappé and Neymar, whose future is up in the air and the team’s ability to restructure itself will depend on it, taking into account that they have the three highest salaries in the football universe. Al-Khelaïfi has called an emergency meeting for Thursday afternoon. Although there is speculation about the arrival of Tuchel or Zidane on the bench, “there will not be a revolution, at least for now”, according to The Parisian.
Doubts about the future of the Parisian team go beyond sports. “Won’t Qatar get tired of investing so much for so few results?” they fear from The Team, the main sports newspaper in the neighboring country. despite having spent more than 1,500 million euros in signingsthe long-awaited photograph by Al-Khelaïfi of his cracks showing the European Cup with the Eiffel Tower in the background is still a frustrated dream.
So far the project to organize in Qatar the World Cup 2022 it gave little credence to speculation that the Qataris could downgrade their commitment to PSG. He didn’t make much sense that they would part with his jewel before such an appointment, a cornerstone of his sports geopolitics. Once the World Cup is over, could the emir Hamad Al Thani get rid of or reduce his investments in the Parisian team?
Added to the sporting obstacles are the current tensions with the Paris City Council over ownership of the Parc des Princes. The club’s management aspires to buy it – it belongs to the municipality like most fields in France – but the socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo is opposed to it.
With one eye on United
These fears are also fueled by Qatar’s growing interest in becoming the new owner of the Manchester United. According to the radio station RMC, the Nine Two Qatari foundation, owned by Emir Al Thani, starts as the favorite in the race to buy the Old Trafford complex, recently put up for sale by the American Glazer family. An operation that would have an estimated cost of about 5,000 million of dollars.
“Will PSG become a satellite club for the Red Devils?” he asks. The Team. The sports newspaper considers, however, this hypothesis unlikely. He not only remembers that the two clubs would be managed through different Qatari entities —the Qatar Investment Authority (PSG) and the Nine Two Foundation (Manchester United)—, but also PSG is the emir’s favorite teamdespite his interest in the English team for a decade.
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By geopolitical rivalriesit is not unreasonable to imagine that Qatar wants to own two of the greats in Europe, taking into account the success of the United Arab Emirates with Manchester City —although the Champions League also resists them— and the recent arrival in English football of Saudi Arabia with the Newcastle acquisition.
In addition, rising oil and gas prices helped Qatar weather its economic turmoil during the pandemic and regain financial muscle. Some petrodollars that nourish the dream of Al-Khelaïfi and Al Thani of being photographed with the long-eared on the Champ de Mars in Paris.
