A group of fans of the French club Paris Saint-Germain called on the president of the Qatari club, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, to step down, following being eliminated from the Champions League final price once morest Real Madrid of Spain.
“The management has resigned,” the Collective Ultras Paris group wrote on social media, calling on the rest of the fans to join it “to show our displeasure… without violence” during Sunday’s match in the French League once morest Bordeaux.
For the fourth time in six seasons, the Qatari-owned team exited the round of 16 since 2011, following squandering its lead once morest 13-times champion Real Madrid (a record) last Wednesday.
Saint-Germain won the first leg 1-0, and advanced in the first half back 1-0 through Kylian Mbappe, before Real turned the score 3-1 with a hat-trick in the second half for veteran French striker Karim Benzema.
“We know what our return (to the elite level) owes to President Nasser Al-Khulaifi, nothing personally here, but he is clearly not the right man for the job,” the group wrote.
Al-Khelaifi is also the president of Qatar’s beIN Media Group, the Qatar Sports Investments Company, and the president of the Qatar Tennis Association, in addition to his presidency of the European Football Club Association.
“The current situation of the club requires a comprehensive reorganization at various levels and the daily presence of the president,” said “SAB,” an umbrella group for different groups of Parisian club fans.
Although Saint-Germain has won seven French League titles out of nine in his tally, since his Qatari takeover in 2011, he has repeatedly failed in the Champions League, reaching the final once.
The Ultras Association criticized the club’s lack of management and the Brazilian sporting director Leonardo due to his recruitment of players, describing it as “a group of stars who have little in common”, following Argentine Lionel Messi, Spaniard Sergio Ramos and Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma joined the Brazilian Neymar and Mbappe.
The players were also criticized for their weak commitment: “Against Bordeaux, this Sunday we will show our displeasure and ask the club’s fans present to unite without violence.”
Saint-Germain approached a new title in the French League, while it was previously excluded from the Cup competition.
