Scandal in Europe, PSG accused of breaking financial fair-play rules

For more than a decade Paris Saint-Germain have been one of the most powerful clubs in the world. The purchase of the side by the Qatari sheikhs gave them an economic power that allowed them to compete with the top teams in Europe for the signing of stars. In fact, they still hold the record for the most expensive purchase in the history of soccer, when they paid €222 million for Neymar to Barcelona in 2017.

And precisely Neymar is the cause of a new scandal related to PSG. According to The Athletic, at the last ECA (European Club Association) assembly held in Berlin, there was a tense situation between Nasser Al-Khelaifi and the Borussia Dortmund chiefs.

The English newspaper reported that Thomas Tess, the German side's finance director, questioned PSG's actions during the last transfer window, especially the sale of Neymar to Al-Hilal for $100 million, on the grounds that financial fair-play rules were not being applied effectively.

Tess argued that the money given to Pro League clubs by the Saudi Arabian state to sign players has distorted the soccer market. PSG have a similar situation, as they are owned by Qatar Sports Investment, which is linked to the state of Qatar. This has allowed them to circumvent financial fair-play restrictions to sign top players and get a leg up on other clubs in Europe.

Al-Khelaifi's reaction

This situation provoked the anger of the PSG owner, who waited until the end of the meeting to approach Thomas Tess and reproach him for what had happened. According to The Athletic, Al-Khelaifi told him that he was embarrassed by the comments he made in front of the chiefs of the other clubs and that he should have discussed it privately with him instead. Later, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke apologized to the PSG owner.