NASSER AL-KHELAÏFI EXCEPTIONAL GUEST ON C À VOUS SHOW: 'TODAY, THE SUPERSTAR IS THE TEAM'
Nasser al-Khelaïfi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, was the exceptional guest on the C à Vous show broadcast on France 5 on June 10, 2025. In an interview marked by emotion and pride, he reflected on the club's historic Champions League victory.
Asked about PSG's transformation, the Qatari leader highlighted the paradigm shift implemented by the club: 'Today, the superstar is the team. We are a family, 23 soldiers on and off the pitch. We have stars today, we have Dembélé, Marquinhos, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Hakimi, we have many players, the whole team is a star. But today the stars play and work for the team.' This new approach, centered on the collective and the promotion of young talent, marks a break with the era of individual superstars.
The PSG president paid tribute to other major French clubs: 'We are proud to represent France alongside Monaco, Brest and Lille. French football is shining in Europe thanks to all these clubs.'
The show was punctuated by video messages of congratulations from prominent personalities and iconic players. Ousmane Dembélé, PSG's star striker, paid special tribute to his president: 'When I signed for Paris Saint-Germain, he told me that we were going to achieve our objectives, that we were going to win the most beautiful competition. Two years later, we did it. It's exceptional.' Nasser al-Khelaïfi in return praised the player: 'Ousmane Dembélé is the Ballon d'Or. He's a magnificent player, generous on the pitch and off it, he's an example.'
Malik Bentalha and Teddy Riner also praised the Parisian leader's commitment and vision.
Nasser al-Khelaïfi was full of praise for the supporters: 'Our supporters are the best in the world. I want to thank all of France and all the French people, for once I felt all of France behind us. That touched us deeply.'
The PSG president also had warm words for the club's former iconic players: 'I want to thank Kylian for what he gave to the club. Him, Messi, Neymar, Ibrahimovic… all the players, because it was an important period for the club. We're lucky this year, but I wish him the best at Real, from the bottom of my heart.'
Speaking about the star that will soon adorn the Parisian jersey, Nasser al-Khelaïfi was measured: 'We haven't decided yet, we want to play with the star for the Club World Cup, but we must remain humble. This star is magnificent, but the most important thing is the name: 'Paris Saint-Germain'.'
Behind the scenes of the show, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi had the opportunity to chat with singer Sting, also a guest that evening, who praised the consistency of the Parisian project. The leader said he was particularly touched by these spontaneous exchanges.
Moved, he concluded by dedicating this victory to his recently deceased mother: 'It's difficult to talk about… but she was with me. It was her dream for us to win this Champions League. This trophy is for my mother too.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
3 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Abdulla Al Hamed meets Arab content creators in Cannes
21 June 2025 19:35 CANNES (WAM) Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Office (NMO) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UAE Media Council, met with a number of Arab content creators during his participation in the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the French city of meeting was attended by Dr. Jamal Mohammed Obaid Al Kaabi, Director-General of the National Media meeting highlighted the upcoming BRIDGE Summit, scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi this December, as a global platform for fostering media collaboration and developing an advanced media ecosystem that anticipates future Hamed affirmed that the summit provides a vital space for engagement, knowledge exchange and the creation of new media solutions that amplify the positive impact of content. He invited content creators to actively participate in the summit's activities, emphasising their pivotal role in shaping public awareness and delivering creative messages to diverse audiences across digital added that content creation has become a powerful tool for building awareness and culture, and an essential element in supporting the path of sustainable development. Al Hamed also stressed the importance of producing content that reflects Arab culture and issues and communicating them to global audiences, especially in relation to the aspirations of Arab youth for development and prosperity.
Gulf Today
11 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Liverpool star Salah among nominees for PFA Player of the Year award
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was among six players nominated for the Professional Footballers' Association Men's Player of the Year award on Friday. The 33-year-old played a key role in Liverpool's Premier League title triumph last season with 29 goals and 18 assists. The Egypt star was voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association -- securing almost 90 percent of the votes, marking the biggest winning margin this century -- and is the firm favourite to land the PFA prize. Salah is joined on the shortlist by Liverpool team-mate Alexis Mac Allister, Arsenal's Declan Rice, Cole Palmer of Chelsea, Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Palmer, who won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for 2023-24, was a surprise choice for the list given his struggles for Chelsea last season. Rice starred in midfield for Arsenal, hitting a career-high nine goals while adding 10 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions. Sweden striker Isak scored 23 goals for Newcastle as they qualified for the Champions League and ended a 56-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup. Fernandes was one of United's few bright spots in the club's worst top-flight campaign since 1973-74, with eight league goals and 10 assists. This year's awards ceremony will be held in Manchester on Aug. 19. Meanwhile, Liverpool have agreed to sign Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez in a deal worth a reported $54 million, according to reports on Friday. Kerkez is due to travel to Merseyside for a medical before completing his move to the Premier League champions. The 21-year-old caught Liverpool's eye last season with his fine form for Bournemouth, including two goals and five assists in 38 Premier League appearances. Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes brought Kerkez to Bournemouth from AZ Alkmaar during his time at the Vitality Stadium. Serbia-born Kerkez began his career at Hungarian outfit Gyor before moving to AC Milan, where he failed to make an appearance for the Serie A club. He joined Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in 2022, arriving in the Premier League with Bournemouth a year later. Kerkez's impending arrival at Anfield raises questions about the future of Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson, who has been linked with Atletico Madrid. Kerkez will become Liverpool's latest signing in a busy summer transfer window for boss Arne Slot. The Reds have already secured the signature of Netherlands right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has joined Real Madrid. Liverpool are also on the verge of signing Leverkusen's Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz after reportedly agreeing a fee that could rise to a British record £116 million. Wirtz is believed to have undergone a medical with Liverpool on Friday ahead of the official confirmation of his transfer. Liverpool will kick off their EPl title defence at home to Bournemouth on Aug.15 while Arsenal head to Manchester United in a blockbuster clash on the opening weekend. Agencies
Gulf Today
11 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Botafogo stun PSG, Messi guides Miami to historic win over Porto at Club World Cup
European champions Paris Saint-Germain suffered a shock 1-0 Club World Cup defeat to Brazilian side Botafogo on Thursday after Lionel Messi lit up the tournament with a brilliant free-kick winner for Inter Miami. Atletico Madrid and Palmeiras also won as the second round of group matches began, but it was Botafogo who stole the headlines. A first-half goal from Igor Jesus proved the difference as last year's Copa Libertadores winners all but sealed a place in the knockout rounds from Group B in front of 53,699 fans at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California. PSG are one of the favourites for FIFA's 32-team tournament after a dazzling season which culminated with a scintillating 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final. But their hopes of securing a victory which would have seen them become the first side into the last 16 were stymied by a resilient performance from their opponents from Rio de Janeiro. 'A lot of people wondered, but we showed how strong Botafogo is,' goalscorer Jesus said after the win, which kept all of South America's representatives unbeaten at the competition in the United States. 'It was a difficult game and we had to defend well, and we did our job and scored a goal.' Botafogo took the lead against the run of play on 36 minutes as Jefferson Savarino's through ball split the PSG defence and released Jesus. He then did brilliantly to wrongfoot the covering Willian Pacho before sweeping a shot that took a slight deflection past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on its way into the net. 'We knew it was going to be a very difficult match — they defended very well,' said PSG coach Luis Enrique. 'This Club World Cup is very intense and difficult and all the teams are highly motivated, especially when they're playing against us.' Botafogo's win leaves them firmly on course for the last 16, with a final group game against Atletico to come on Monday. Atletico bounced back from a 4-0 loss to PSG as Diego Simeone's side beat Seattle Sounders 3-1. Pablo Barrios scored twice, including an 11th-minute opener which crashed in off the underside of the crossbar. Belgian Axel Witsel came off the bench at half time and almost immediately made it 2-0, nodding in from close range after a Marcos Llorente shot was tipped onto the woodwork. Albert Rusnak quickly pulled one back for Seattle, only for Barrios to score again for 3-1. Botafogo top Group B with six points, with PSG and Atletico each on three and Seattle facing probable elimination after two defeats. Earlier, Messi scored a trademark free-kick to secure a 2-1 comeback win for Inter Miami against Porto in Atlanta in Group A, marking the first time a CONCACAF team has defeated a European side in an official FIFA tournament. The Argentine superstar found the top corner with a set-piece nine minutes after half time to clinch a surprise victory for the MLS side and give them a strong chance of progressing. Samu Aghehowa's early penalty gave Porto the lead and they had the better of the first half. But Telasco Segovia blasted Miami level and then Messi's free-kick helped them claim a noteworthy scalp. 'It's a huge joy, the whole team made a big effort, we worked really well,' Messi told broadcaster DAZN. 'It's a really important win for us and we have to enjoy it. You can see that we want to compete and today we competed against a really good European team.' Javier Mascherano's Inter Miami have four points from two games, meaning they are level atop the group with Palmeiras. The Brazilians beat Egypt's Al Ahly 2-0 at MetLife Stadium outside New York. A Wessam Abou Ali own goal gave Palmeiras a 49th-minute lead before Flaco Lopez doubled their advantage 10 minutes later. The match was then suspended in the 63rd minute because of a weather warning, with players and fans instructed to take shelter because of a nearby storm before the action eventually resumed. Agence France-Presse
