Paris (AFP)

Leader of the resistance to the Super League project despite his status as boss of the wealthy Paris SG, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi emerges strengthened from the earthquake suffered by European football, with an additional cap in the instances and arguments to convince his stars to prolong.

In Ligue 1, before going to Metz (5:00 p.m.) on Saturday, PSG is in a delicate position which prevents it from making the slightest mistake.

But off the field, his situation has never been so radiant.

The club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last summer, distinguished itself by saying "no" to the Super League project carried out behind the back of UEFA by twelve European greats (Real, Barça, Juventus .. .), attracted by the prospect of increasing their income.

Much like Bayern Munich, the outgoing Champions League finalist found himself on the right side of the fault line after the express implosion on Tuesday night, two days after its launch, of this controversial idea in the face of popular outcry.

And here is "Nasser", 47, suddenly propelled to the rank of defender of sporting meritocracy and leader of the resistance, a role hailed by his peers.

- Compliments -

"With your help, we will save football," UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin told him in the middle of the congress on Tuesday.

Rennes coach Bruno Genesio also stressed that PSG, as well as Lyon, "could have taken another path. Their position may have helped to make the clubs who had signed up to reflect," he said. recognized Friday.

Even the Elysee has issued a statement in support of French clubs, while within the national football authorities, the same compliments were addressed by Vincent Labrune, the boss of the Professional Football League (LFP), Wednesday during 'a Board of Directors.

The reasons for this choice remain rather secret.

One of the explanations may also lie in the fact that Qatar, in its quest for influence, cares less about possible revenues than about its image, as demonstrated by the monumental expenditure intended for the organization of the World Cup. -2022 in the small gas country.

"As an armed wing of the Emir, he cannot afford to have UEFA and Fifa on his back before the World Cup," insists a source close to French football authorities.

Finally, over the seasons, the Qataris were able to discover the responsibility of PSG in the economy of French football.

However, Ligue 1 "is not only facing the Covid crisis, but also a very big problem of TV rights" which puts the whole building in danger, recalled Wednesday the lawyer Patricia Moyersoen during a webinar devoted to the Super League.

Officially in any case, "NAK" defends the wish to "stay with people who love football" in opposition to projects "motivated by personal interests", as he pointed out on Tuesday in Montreux (Switzerland).

- Weight in the instances -

This position allowed him to strengthen his role within the governing bodies of European football, he who had however experienced some tumultuous episodes vis-à-vis the latter when PSG had to answer for accusations of non-compliance with the financial fair play.

He even replaced the discredited Andrea Agnelli (Juventus) at the head of the European Association of Clubs (ECA), the powerful organization which weighs on the reforms of European competitions, and was reappointed as its representative to the UEFA executive committee.

An additional cap for this Qatari minister without portfolio who heads beIN Media, broadcaster of the Champions League, but also the investment fund Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), at the origin of the takeover of PSG in 2011.

This strategic success also comes at the right time from a purely sporting point of view: by opposing the great Real Madrid, Barcelona or even Liverpool in this case, Al-Khelaïfi has precisely taken the most serious off-balance. contenders for his two stars, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé.

Both at the end of their contract in June 2022, the Brazilian and the French now know that they belong to a club that will not be sanctioned soon by UEFA, financially or sportingly, unlike the big dissident teams that many voices in Europe hope to see punished.

What to accelerate the negotiations on the extensions of contract of the two attackers?

© 2021 AFP