SUMMARY
- Reports suggest that PSG tried to lobby Pascal Ferre, the former editor-in-chief of France Soccer and Ballon d'Or organizer, to favor Messi's win during his time with them.
- Pascal Ferre, now PSG's communication officer, is accused of receiving favors from PSG officials, including VIP tickets, a business flight on Qatar Airways, and other perks.
PSG has been brought under spotlights and this time for Argentine superstar Lionel Messi. It is being reported that the French side has tried to influence the outcome of the 2021 Ballon d’Or in favor of Lionel Messi.
It takes us back to 2021 when Lionel Messi decided to join the French side after leaving his boyhood club FC Barcelona. By that time Messi already had six Ballon d’Or titles to his name. However, just to make sure the Argentine wins his seventh one, it is being reported that PSG officials tried to lobby the Ballon d’Or organizers in favor of them.
The individual in question is Pascal Ferre, who was previously the editor-in-chief of France Soccer and also organized the Ballon d’Or. It has been alleged that officials at a Parisian club attempted to win Ferre’s support through various favors. The report suggests that the club was hoping that Messi would win the trophy during his stint in the French capital.
Madrid-based journalists are spreading misinformation.
In the quoted article, Ferré got tickets to the PSG-Dortmund in March 2020. This was 1.5 years before Messi received his 2021 Ballon d’Or.
The investigation also claims the attempt was unsuccessful.https://t.co/zi4Q6FGcSx
— Leo Messi (@L1ONELMESSl) January 6, 2024
As per a report from Le Monde, there is a judicial investigation going on that primarily focuses on the former director of communications, Jean-Martial Ribes. There is also a report from November 2023 by the General Inspectorate of the National Police, which states, “Ribes requested to obtain tickets for Paris Saint Germain football matches by journalists, politicians, elected officials, members of ministerial cabinets or the presidency, artists.”
However, the reports that are circulating state that Ferre got tickets for the PSG vs Dortmund game in March 2020 which was 1.5 years before Messi received his 2021 Ballon d’Or. The investigation also claims the attempt was unsuccessful. This has made a certain section of the fanbase believe that the journalist is peddling false claims regarding PSG’s involvement.
How did Paris Saint-Germain officials try to lobby Pascal Ferre?
It has been reported that Pascal Ferre, who was appointed as PSG’s communication officer just before 2021, was allegedly bribed by the club’s president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, to advocate for Messi to win the Ballon d’Or after the Argentine signed a contract with the French club in 2021.
According to documents discovered by the IGPN police officers, it has been found that PSG officials and Pascal Ferre had maintained a very close relationship. These documents suggest that Ferre received several “gifts” from PSG officials during Messi’s time at PSG to win his 7th Ballon d’Or.
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According to an ongoing legal investigation, PSG lobbied for Messi to win the Ballon d’Or 2021. Pascal Ferré, the editor-in-chief of France Football & responsible organization of the event benefited from various largesse.
Messi’s PR getting exposed, we knew it all along. 😂 pic.twitter.com/slBd7ZsblO
— The CR7 Timeline. (@TimelineCR7) January 6, 2024
The gifts included VIP tickets at the Parc des Princes for various games, a round-trip business flight on Qatar Airways which is the title sponsor of PSG, paid for by the Government of Qatar, and many other perks.
However, as soon as the information was brought to light, Ferre denied all the allegations put against him regarding having any involvement in favoring Messi to win the 2021 Ballon d’Or. Ferre further claimed that he voted for Polish International Robert Lewandowski in the year 2021.