SUMMARY
- PSG is facing accusations of employing corrupt practices to favor Lionel Messi in winning the 2021 Ballon d'Or.
- Ongoing legal inquiries and investigations reveal a close relationship between PSG and Pascal Ferré, the former president of France Football magazine.
The French side PSG has found itself in hot waters recently after an investigation was carried out against them. The soccer legend Lionel Messi won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award in 2021 for the 7th time and in 2020 the award show was canceled due to COVID-19.
The legal inquiries concerning PSG are still ongoing. Le Monde and Mediapart have disclosed that the Parisian club allegedly advocated for Leo Messi to win the Ballon d’Or between 2020 and 2021. It was also found that Gerald Darmanin, the current interior minister of France, allegedly helped the club avoid paying taxes on Neymar’s move in 2017.
🚨💣| According to an ongoing judicial investigation, PSG attempted to lobby for Lionel Messi to receive the Ballon d’Or.
Pascal Ferré received various favors between 2020 and 2021 when he was editor-in-chief of the magazine and responsible for organizing the Ballon d’Or.… pic.twitter.com/SvdmgpjqnH
— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) January 6, 2024
Paris Saint-Germain and Pascal Ferré, the former president of France Football magazine, which gives out the honor, grew closer in both years 2020 and 2021 according to various reports. Le Monde also claims that the organizers of the Ballon d’Or were ‘ordered’ to remove an article from L’Équipe.
Many soccer fans were shocked by this news and took to social media apps to vent their frustration. One fan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Always been corrupt” regarding the reports emerging by LeMonde and Mediapart.
Always been corrupt 😂😆 https://t.co/yvvqdXjNj3
— ocnarf (@ZOLAFRANCO97) January 6, 2024
Ferré, who was hired a few months ago as PSG’s new communications officer, was given tickets to the capital club’s games in exchange, including a private 2020 match against Borussia Dortmund. He also received a business class ticket on Qatar Airways, which the Qatari government paid for, estimated to be worth €8,986 ($9,846), in March 2021.
Pascal Ferre denies the claims regarding his involvement in Lionel Messi winning the 2021 Ballon d’Or
Ferré and his group denied any role in helping Messi win the 2021 Ballon d’Or once the information became public. According to the former director of France Football magazine, Ferré voted Robert Lewandowski the world’s greatest player in 2021, the year the Argentine forward won his seventh trophy. Ferré further states that the forward was not nominated for the honor in 2022.
Pascal ferre who didn’t even vote for messi in the 2021 and 2023 ballon dor 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/4QQQPZV51l
— Ian (@Ian51444158) January 6, 2024
The head of communications for PSG asserts that his publication, France Soccer, covered the specifics of the Middle Eastern nation’s fictitious World Cup granting in an issue dubbed “Qatar Gate” that was released in 2010. It remains to be seen how this story unfolds in the coming days/months.
Messi won the Ballon d’Or medal for his incredible 2022–23 season, which included leading Argentina to triumph in the World Cup in Qatar, making history as the first player from Major League Soccer to do so. In the summer of 2023, Messi left PSG to join Inter Miami. However, the probe is still ongoing as PSG will address it this January 7th, 2024 when they play in the French Cup round of 16.