PSG's signing of Messi in line with Financial Fair Play rules: Al-Khelaifi
The signing of Lionel Messi by French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain was in line with European football’s Financial Fair Play rules, the club’s president said on Wednesday (Aug 11).
“We follow the Financial Fair Play rules,” Nasser Al-Khelaifi told a news conference alongside Messi.
“We are always attentive to Financial Fair Play. It’s the first thing we check with the commercial, financial and legal people to see if we can do it before signing someone,” the president said.
“I think the media need to focus on the positives and not just the negatives of these moves, but what positives he brings. He’s an unbelievable asset to the club.”
The owners of PSG, the deep-pocketed Qatar Sports Investment, have spent lavishly on their star-studded line-up in recent years.
The French side also have the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel di Maria in their ranks.
They have also recently snapped up Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, former Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos and Italy's Euro 2020-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – all on free transfers.
Al-Khelaifi said people would be “shocked” by the financial revenues Messi would bring the club, though he quipped: “I hope Leo will not ask for more salary.”
When asked about the future of Mbappe, whose contract extension talks have stalled and has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, Al-Khelaifi insisted that the Frenchman, 22, is still a PSG player. – REUTERS
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