LONDON: UEFA helped Paris Saint-Germain get around their own Financial
Fair Play (FFP) rules, and according to a Football Leaks investigation
published this weekend.
It has also been alleged that former French President Nicolas Sarkozy
promised Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani that then UEFA president
Michel Platini would back the Gulf state’s bid to host the 2022 World
Cup on condition of Doha buying PSG and launch BeIN Sports channel in
France.
The leaks form part of a treasure trove of allegations that further
undermine the credibility of the FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, who
promised to clean up football’s governing body on taking over from the
discredited Sepp Blatter, and the decision to award the 2022 hosting
rights to Qatar.
Among the allegations it is said that Infantino, as UEFA secretary
general, allowed PSG to operate with impunity regarding FFP, the body
dishing out only minor penalties for violations to the Qatar-owned club,
falling way short of the most severe penalty that could have been
thrown at them — expulsion from the Champions League.
Infantino — despite an obligation to strict neutrality — reportedly met for secret negotiations with club bosses PSG.
Since Qatar took over Paris Saint-Germain in 2011 it has invested over
€1 billion on players alone and greatly increased the budget of the
capital club.
Football Leaks points the finger at PSG's five-year agreement with the
Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), valued at €1.075 ($1.22 billion), or €215
million a year.
That is despite the investigation claiming that "two independent
auditors assigned by UEFA valued the contract as (far less than the
value ascribed by PSG).”
UEFA rules say clubs cannot spend more than they earn in any given
season and deficits must fall within a €30 million limit over three
seasons.
PSG were fined €60 million by UEFA in May 2014, but were told they would
get €40 million back if they stuck to the terms of their settlement.
This bypassed the Financial Control Panel of European football's
governing body. Infantino’s proposal, it is reported, was for a "fine of
€20 million instead of €60 (million).”
FIFA have blasted the claims as an attempt to "undermine the leadership" of the global body.
French former president Nicolas Sarkozy (R) speaks with the president
and head of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and president of the PSG
Nasser al-Khelaifi. The relationship between Sarkozy and Qatar has once
again been questioned in relation to the shock decision to award the
Gulf state the 2022 World Cup.
"It seems obvious from the 'reporting' carried out in some media outlets
that there is only one particular aim — an attempt to undermine the new
leadership of FIFA and, in particular, the president, Gianni Infantino,
and the secretary general, Fatma Samoura,” football’s governing body
said in a statement.
The under fire Infantino added: "It is always a challenge to change
things, to move forward, and to bring people together in order to do
things better.
"And, as we are resolutely implementing the reforms at FIFA, it was
always clear to me that I would face strong opposition, especially from
those who cannot anymore shamelessly profit from the system they were
part of."
PSG have responded to the allegations by insisting they have "always
strictly complied with all applicable laws and regulations and firmly
denies the allegations published today by Mediapart.”
FIFA made no mention of the reported promise made by Sarkozy to Qatar
regarding the World Cup, but it once again brings into question the
decision to award the hosting of the tournament to the gulf state.
It has long been rumored that the sale of PSG to Qatar was part of a
deal in which France would back the Doha bid for the 2022 tournament —
something Sarkozy and then UEFA president Michel Platini have always
denied.
But since the shock announcement that Qatar would be hosting the 2022
event, allegations of dirty deals and corruption have never been far
away and the pressure to see the World Cup played somewhere else will
likely only increase.
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