|
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has said "no one believes" Paris Saint-Germain's figures ahead of his organisation filing a complaint to UEFA against the French champions regarding Kylian Mbappe's contract renewal. Earlier this month, Mbappe signed a lucrative new contract with PSG and turned down an offer from Real Madrid. "We are not going to allow a European team to destroy the ecosystem of European football," Tebas told reporters on Tuesday. "It's not a problem of French football but of European football. We want the Ligue 1 to be a sustainable competition. It's not good for the industry. - Who should Madrid target after missing out on Mbappe
- Top teens of 2022: Pedri, Camavinga among star names
- Messi: 'No doubt' Benzema deserves Ballon d'Or
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access "Our claim regarding the PSG case has already been drafted and we will be filing it to UEFA in the coming days. I believe this is what we have to do to defend European football and Spanish football and we are going to do it." Tebas also said PSG's numbers don't add up and has accused the club of breaching finance rules. "A team that was losing €300 to €400 million in the past three seasons will be spending this year over €600m in wages and has commercial revenues higher than Real Madrid, Manchester United and Barcelona," he said. "No one believes that. Then they renew Mbappe, giving [him] a €100m [bonus] either gross or net. That's impossible unless there is deception in terms of sponsorship or capital contributions which is greater than those allowed by UEFA. "We seem like the European Robin Hoods. I have spoken with other leagues, and some could join us [in the claim]. We are going to do it no matter what the president of the French league says. They already know me in Europe." PSG is owned by Qatar Sports Investments, a subsidiary of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund and although Tebas said he has no issue with state-owned clubs, he wants them to be punished if they breach Financial Fair Play Regulations (FFP). "We don't care if the owners are states," he said. "I have no problem with Qatar Investments owning PSG. The problem is the attitude it has as a club owner. They don't care about losses, they put the money that they want, they deceive you with sponsorship deals that are linked to the state. This is the problem. They use the state figure to contribute money regardless of the losses they have." The LaLiga president also added that "financial doping" is as dangerous as the failed Super League project from last year and revealed he has voiced his concerns to PSG's hierarchy. "I'm not going to sit down at a UEFA Executive Committee [ExCo] meeting next to [PSG president] Nasser [Al-Khelaifi] and say: 'Hey Nasser, let's have an appetizer after the meal.' I've already told him several times: 'Listen Nasser, stop cheating because what you are doing is screwing football.' Because he doesn't listen, we must insist." Tebas also called on more transparency surrounding Manchester City's deal to sign Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland despite interest from LaLiga champions Madrid. "From what I know, Haaland's transfer, meaning the way it had to be carried out, would have been impossible for a club that has the transparency of Real Madrid," Tebas said. "If he has gone to City, we need to see how that operation was achieved, not in terms of money but in terms of how it was structured. "[Haaland's agent] Mino Raiola's successor has gotten €150m, not sure if it is as commission or not. That's what is happening in the market and those strange things are only done by a club like Manchester City, PSG and Chelsea in the past." Tebas believes LaLiga is strict when it comes to enforcing FFP and said Barca are unable to afford transfer target Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich. "Right now, they can't buy Lewandowski," he said. "Barca knows what they have to do. They know perfectly well our financial control rules. "They need to stock up their pantry. They need to find more revenue and sell assets in order to make the investments they were able to do in the past."
|
