2023-06-10 14:58:02
ISTANBUL (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said Saturday that he is not part of a possible offer to acquire Manchester United.
Ahead of the Champions League final in Istanbul, Al-Khelaifi distanced himself from fellow Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani’s proposal to buy the award-winning English team.
“Paris Saint-Germain is my team, my heart and it has nothing to do with Manchester United,” he said of his French club.
On Friday it was reported that Al-Khelaifi, who also chairs the Association of European Teams, had been “important” in negotiations surrounding Sheikh Jassim’s bid to buy out the shares of United’s owners, the Glazer family.
Al-Khelaifi noted that potential investors often ask him for advice and that he gives his opinion on United or any other team. He said he was approached by an investor during the Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix regarding considering offers for two English teams, which were not named.
“I am not working for anyone. I want the best for football,” she said. “When this guy asked me, I gave him my opinion. So, of course, if you ask my opinion, I’ll answer you and that’s what happened. Anyone, not just United. I will give you the experience I have. That’s all”.
UEFA has a rule aimed at preventing owners or businesses from having “decisive influence” on more than one team eligible for their European competitions. The rule was implemented 25 years ago and seeks to protect the integrity of the games of owners with a conflict of interest on the field.
Jassim, a Qatari banker, is competing with British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe for the purchase of United, which is estimated to fetch a sale price of up to $6 billion.
The Glazers announced in November that they were exploring “strategic alternatives” following owning the team since 2005. That included a possible sale outright or a minority investment.
PSG is owned by Qatar Sports Investments and has invested exorbitant amounts of money in some of the sport’s biggest figures including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
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