Latest news with #NasserAlKhelaifi
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Paris Saint-Germain 0 Botafogo 1 – Are Europe's struggles good for the Club World Cup?
Europe's teams lost twice in one day at the Club World Cup as Botafogo shocked Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain to take control of group B. The Copa Libertadores holders took a first-half lead when Marlon Freitas released Igor Jesus who got the better of PSG centre-backs Willian Pacho and Lucas Beraldo before getting a shot away that deflected off Pacho and past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Advertisement Early in the second half, Botafogo goalkeeper John blocked a close-range header from Goncalo Ramos and Luis Enrique sent on Joao Neves, Bradley Barcola, Nuno Mendes and Fabian Ruiz as the start of a series of substitutions to try and equalise but the John Textor-owned team from Brazil held on to beat his rival Nasser Al-Khelaifi's Qatar-backed PSG. Botafogo's win at a raucous Rose Bowl in Pasadena leaves them three points clear at the top of group B with four of the eight pools now led by teams from South America. Here The Athletic's Jack Lang, Jordan Campbell and Austin Green analyse the game's key talking points. For the first six days of the tournament it did not happen, but then two European teams lost in the space of eight hours. It is a healthy development for the competition as there were fears the gulf between Europe and the other continents would be so pronounced that the group stage was uncompetitive. Inter Miami beating Porto was the first real dent in the idea of Europe invincibility but Botafogo beating the reigning UEFA Champions League holders PSG was the sort of upset that can change the entire dynamics of a tournament. The Brazilian side defended resolutely and were able to regularly counter on the French champions. European sides have found it difficult to cope with the speed of PSG's moves but Botafogo matched them physically for most of the game. South American teams have now won five, drawn three and lost none of their games against opposition from other continents. The conditions may be more natural to some of the South American sides, who are also mid-season, but the European sides are finding that this is not the walkover they may have been expecting. Jordan Campbell Pacho and Beraldo seemed to have the situation well under control. Botafogo had nicked the ball in midfield but the PSG centre backs were well placed. There was a gap between them, but it was tiny, no more than three metres. No one was going to get through that. Then along came Igor Jesus. The Botafogo striker is not one of those subtle strikers. He doesn't paint pictures with his feet. He can look ungainly, a little imprecise. Tell him to run onto something, though, and he'll do it all day, then come back the morning after and ask for more. He saw the gap, laughed at it, barrelled into it like a wild horse. The pass came from Jefferson Savarino, as he knew it would. From there, it was just about maintaining the momentum. A second and a couple of touches later, the ball was in the net and Igor Jesus was in the crowd, being smothered in hugs. It's been a funny 12 months for the 24-year-old. Not so long ago, he was leading the line for the Brazil national team, the main individual beneficiary of Botafogo's all-conquering 2024 season. He has found the going much harder since the turn of the year. It was, in truth, a slight surprise when Nottingham Forest agreed to make a Premier League player of him in June. Advertisement Here, though, he showed his true potential. This may be his goodbye tour, but there is still a chance for him to make a few more memories in black and white yet. Jack Lang For PSG's first match of this tournament against a non-European side, Luis Enrique opted to sit several of his usual first-choice starters. Gonçalo Ramos started at centre-forward for the injured Ousmane Dembelet. Senny Mayulu and Warren Zaire-Emery flanked Vitinha in the midfield. Lucas Hernandez and Beraldo started on the back line over Mendes and Marquinhos. The results were mixed. PSG dominated possession but struggled to finish chances. They largely went away from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after the winger created two superb opportunities for himself in the opening 15 minutes. Ramos was a non-factor and missed a chance at a tap-in goal because he failed to make a run at a Desire Doue cross into the box in the first half. Beraldo and Pacho had their moments in central defence but were also responsible for giving up Igor Jesus' goal. It didn't take long after half-time — and another superb Botafogo chance on the counter — for Luis Enrique to determine he had seen enough. In came Barcola, Ruiz, Neves and Mendes in the 55th minute. The result was a livelier, more balanced PSG attack and one that negated Botafogo's counterattacking threat. But it was too little, too late. It's not just that PSG didn't find an equalizer, they barely had a quality chance until late in the second half. Credit Botafogo for superb positioning as the Brazilian side's back line grew more comfortable as the game went on. But given those early chances and PSG's early-scoring prowess throughout their run through the Champions League, it's hard not to second-guess Enrique's decision to sit so many first-choice players and not press for an early goal to then allow for some earlier-than-usual substitutions on the back end. Austin Green Monday, June 23: Seattle Sounders, Club World Cup group stage (Seattle), 3pm ET, 8pm UK Monday, June 23: Atletico Madrid, Club World Cup group stage (Pasadena), 3pm ET, 8pm UK You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free.
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
John Textor vs Nasser Al-Khelaifi — a French football feud that is about to go global at Club World Cup
When the Club World Cup draw was made in December, conjuring the jumbled bones of Gianni Infantino's strange monster into something approaching life, a few fixtures immediately jumped out. Paris Saint-Germain vs Atletico Madrid sounded fun, like a Champions League quarter-final that had boarded the wrong flight. There was Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors, a 22-man culture clash, plus multiple underdog tales waiting to be told — or not — by Auckland City and Mamelodi Sundowns. Advertisement Throw in the possibility for the kind of jubilant human dioramas that we have seen over the last few days — Esperance de Tunis supporters taking over Times Square, the rolling Boca roadshow — and you had most of the ingredients needed for a solid group stage. Most but not all. There was one key thing missing, at least at first glance. Summer tournaments are celebratory things, but you also need some dark to go with the light. Where was the match that was begging to descend into chaos? Where was the bad blood? River Plate vs Boca? That can't happen until the semi-finals at the earliest. It's the same for Flamengo vs Fluminense. Benfica vs Porto is a potential quarter-final — better, but still over two weeks away. Until then, it's all going to be relatively friendly on the pitch. That's the bad news. Here's the good: there is some enmity to be found. You just have to look inside the boardroom to locate it. On Thursday, a feud that has gripped French football will go global. It involves Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of PSG, and John Textor, the chairman of Eagle Football Group. The latter is president of Lyon, PSG's rivals in Ligue 1. He is also the majority owner of Botafogo, the reigning South American champions — and PSG's next opponents at the Rose Bowl. The animosity between the men dates back to 2022, when Textor became majority shareholder of Lyon and immediately placed PSG — backed by Qatari state money, domestically dominant — in his crosshairs. 'I don't like models like PSG,' Textor said in his first press conference. 'We want to go after them.' Lyon have yet to make significant progress on that front. Textor, though, has certainly gone after PSG in the press. He complained about the club's Qatari ownership to the BBC in February 2024, then doubled down in a lengthy interview with Brazilian outlet Globo. 'I'm competing with a country, not an owner,' he said. 'It's a model of spending without brakes, without restrictions.' Advertisement That prompted a stinging response from PSG. In a letter signed by general secretary Victoriano Melero — but almost certainly approved by Al-Khelaifi — they described Textor as 'undignified', accusing him of 'playing to the gallery' with 'wild attacks' and threatening legal action. 'As a newcomer to France, we humbly suggest informing yourself of some basic facts, while also perhaps having some self-reflection,' it read. The tone of those exchanges reflected a growing friction between Textor and Al-Khelaifi in private. Days earlier, the two men had been involved in a meeting to discuss TV rights for Ligue 1, alongside the owners of the other clubs in the league. It was a fraught occasion, with clubs on edge after the failure of the previous TV deal. Textor pushed for a Netflix-style, direct-to-consumer product, referencing his experience with streaming service FuboTV. When Al-Khelaifi, who favoured a more conventional offer from DAZN, pushed back, the meeting descended into a slanging match — as later revealed in a video leaked to French newspaper L'Equipe. Textor accused Al-Khelaifi of being a 'bully' and a 'tyrant'. 'You live in a different world,' Al-Khelaifi told the American, before calling him a 'cowboy'. Al-Khelaifi got his way. Ligue 1 signed with DAZN in a deal that would end up being prematurely terminated in May. But he and Textor continued to exchange angry messages, subsequently published in L'Equipe. 'You know nothing about football and I'm wasting my time talking to you,' Al-Khelaifi told Textor. 'You will lose wherever you go.' Nor was that the end of the matter. In an explosive interview with radio station RMC in January, Textor returned to the topic, accusing Ligue 1 president Vincent Labrune of bowing to PSG — and Al-Khelaifi, who also runs beIN Sports, of having a conflict of interests. Advertisement 'Nasser sat there and ran the meeting,' Textor said. 'He should not have even been in the meeting because he is an interested party with his own TV channels. Every time anybody would raise an alternate idea, Nasser would bark at them and intimidate and bully. The president of our league just sat there like a lapdog, didn't say anything.' In a statement, a Ligue 1 spokesperson said they were 'surprised' by Textor's comments. A PSG statement, seen by The Athletic, was more forceful. 'It's a shame that you can't buy class and elegance as it would have enabled Mr Textor to avoid ridiculing himself,' it read. There has, seemingly, been a bit of a rapprochement since then. Al-Khelaifi invited Textor to the Parc des Princes for PSG's Champions League match against Arsenal in May, which was welcomed by the American. 'Happy to be working again with NAK (Al-Khelaifi) at this critical time, on the challenges and opportunities of French football,' he wrote on Instagram. 'At times like this, we will work together. Tonight I support France!' There was also, in February, the sight of Textor wearing a cowboy hat to Lyon vs PSG, just days after details of the TV meeting were made public. It might have struck some as a provocation, but there was an alternative reading: that Textor was injecting a little humour, maybe even some self-deprecation, into the narrative. In truth, the two men probably have more in common than first meets the eye. Both see themselves as ex-athletes: Textor was a good snowboarder and skateboarder in his youth; Al-Khelaifi was Qatar's best tennis player and is now a padel evangelist. Both made their money and their reputations in the media sphere, Al-Khelaifi with beIN and Textor with Fubo. They are both, to differing degrees, outsiders in the French system. They may have clashed in the football world, but they are also similar when it comes to their interpretation of their roles at their clubs. They are hands-on, proactive, public-facing. When PSG won the Champions League in May, Al-Khelaifi was on the field, kissing the trophy. It was the same story with Textor when Botafogo beat Atletico Mineiro in the final of the Copa Libertadores in November. Advertisement None of which is to say that there will be any quarter given on Thursday. After the Libertadores final, Textor sent a photo of the trophy to his rival — a pointed dig because, at that point, PSG had not won the Champions League title that Al-Khelaifi had been dreaming of since he arrived in France in 2011. They have now. But Textor's reaction to the Club World Cup draw made it clear that neither he nor Botafogo will be paying them too much deference in Pasadena. 'Now we are going to play against a little team from Paris and also a big historic club: Atletico Madrid,' Textor said in April. 'I really can't wait.' (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Xavier Laine / Getty, Clement Mahoudeau / Getty)
Qatar Tribune
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Qatar Tribune
PSG team is the superstar: Nasser Al Khelaifi on C à Vous show
Tribune News Network Paris Nasser Al Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, was the exceptional guest on the C à Vous show, broadcast on France 5 on Tuesday, 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 Dembele, 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 Khelaifi in return praised the player: 'Ousmane Dembele 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. Al Khelaifi 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.'
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Uefa mutiny brewing as rebels plot challenge to Aleksander Ceferin's presidency
Almost everywhere you turned in Munich last week, you saw football royalty, and high-level talk. The Champions League final almost stands alone in bringing the great and good of the game together. In one corner, there was Sir Alex Ferguson being shepherded by Gary Neville, endearingly calling him 'boss'. In another were a series of legends like Ruud Gullit and Javier Zanetti. Anyone who looked hard enough might also have seen something else, in the more secluded corners of high-priced hotels like the Rosewood or Bayischer Hof. That was potentially the beginning of a football rebellion. A number of senior figures are now coming together to put forward a challenger to Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin for 2027. A football great like Andriy Shevchenko is preferred – with even Michel Platini being mentioned in some quarters – but the real point is how a resistance is taking shape. That is down to a growing concern and frustration at the direction of the European game, and the manner in which huge decisions are taken. Some couldn't help notice the symbolism at the end of the Champions League final itself. Ceferin handed the European Cup over to Paris Saint-Germain, who are headed by his close friend, Nasser Al-Khelaifi. There were naturally warm congratulations between the two officials. It arguably marked the culmination of an era, and not just for the Qatar-owned European champions. Through his presidency of PSG and crises like the Super League, Al-Khelaifi has risen to become the chairman of the European Club Association [ECA], whose power has significantly increased under the Qatari's leadership. The ECA now runs the Champions League as a joint venture with Uefa – which is exactly what the big clubs wanted though the Super League – and it is almost viewed as a third major football institution with Fifa and Uefa. Many now question where Uefa ends and the ECA begins. And here was the European Cup being handed over. It comes after a period where senior football figures have become increasingly concerned at Al-Khelaifi's 'direct involvement in decision-making', according to one source, as well as what they perceive as a Uefa that now increasingly prioritises the elite club game at the expense of its members, the national associations. A further problem is that they don't feel there is the political space to express any of this. Underneath Ceferin's close relationship with Al-Khelaifi, the Uefa president's main support comes from a bloc of 14 countries, most from the Balkans given his Slovenian background. This has driven the agenda at the federation, to the point that many national associations do not feel their views are sufficiently heeded. The frustration has only added to the doubts over the game's direction, fostering a general sense that elite football is being co-opted by greater powers, without sufficient input by its stakeholders. A common complaint is that there isn't even the room to stage serious debate about key matters for the sport. This has all been further aggravated by events in Paraguay at the end of last month, when Ceferin's Uefa were presented with what should have been a huge political victory. Numerous senior figures were infuriated by Fifa president Gianni Infantino's late arrival at his own Congress, having instead stayed longer in Saudi Arabia with Donald Trump. Ceferin eventually led a walk-out of European delegates, that culminated in an unusually strident Uefa statement criticising Infantino for pursuing 'private political interests'. This had initially energised a lot of the game, right up to senior EU officials who have similarly expressed concern about football governance. There was a hope that pressure might build for something new… only for that to be replaced by bemusement. Within four days, Uefa released a statement insisting the 'recent episode was isolated' and that a relationship of 'ongoing collaboration' is 'marked by open communication and mutual respect'. Few in football believe this given the known tension between Ceferin and Infantino, who is set to be the subject of some focus this week with the start of his Club World Cup. Some sources are keen to put this entire dynamic in the context of their frayed relationship. Others even believe there will eventually be a heave to put Al-Khelaifi forward as a candidate for Fifa president. The Football Association's position in this has been the source of intrigue among European nations, too. While chief executive Mark Bullingham was, in February 2024, the only federation leader to vote against controversial reforms that would allow Ceferin to stand again in 2027, and former Uefa treasurer David Gill sparked a row with the Slovenian at one meeting over governance issues, tension is understood to have calmed. England will host Euro 2028 along with the rest of the British nations and Ireland, and then the Women's World Cup in 2031. FA chair Debbie Hewitt is currently vice-president of Fifa. The FA is viewed as trying to play both sides. Other positions are being scrutinised with more interest by insiders. The last Uefa Executive Committee, at the Europa League final in Bilbao, confirmed the appointment of Ceferin loyalist Zoran Lakovic to deputy general secretary under long-time Uefa grandee Theodore Theodoridis. Already Uefa director of national associations, Lakovic is seen as having accumulated considerable power at Uefa, as Ceferin's 'man on the ground'. This only solidifies the Serbian's rise, especially with many expecting Theodoridis to soon retire. Ceferin's own future after 2027 is viewed with considerable intrigue. He suggested he would leave at the 2024 Congress, only to then immediately go back on that, with language that was very open to interpretation. Either way, there's now momentum around a new political bloc, who want to ensure they have their own candidate for 2027. It might well be a football legend. It is certain to shape football politics – and maybe the game's future direction – for the next two years.
Associated Press
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
PSG star Dembélé raises Champions League trophy at the French Open
PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain took its Champions League success to the French Open on Monday when star striker Ousmane Dembélé raised the trophy to tennis fans. Sporting sunglasses, Dembélé walked on to the sun-bathed clay in Court Philippe-Chatrier. As he held the trophy aloft he shouted 'Ici c'est Paris!' (This is Paris!) — one of the favorite chants of PSG fans. Some of the crowd joined in a brief rendition of it. Dembélé was a key part of the PSG team which routed Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday to win the Champions League for the first time. He set up one of the two goals scored by rising star Désiré Doué. After Dembélé walked off, on came 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and Cameron Norrie for their fourth-round match at Roland-Garros. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi was in the crowd and he has an expert eye as as a former professional player. The 51-year-old Qatari played two ATP tour matches, including a loss to 1995 French Open champion Thomas Muster, and played for his nation in the Davis Cup. ___ AP tennis:
