WeeklySA_AdminPAYBACK TIME: Qatari-owned French giants aim to win Fifa Club World Cup final
By Sports Reporter
It may be an all-European final when PSG lock horns with Chelsea on Sunday, but few can demur the French giants owes its success completely to Qatar.
“PSG is an extension of Qatar, it’s not a French team,” as alluded to by a specialist on the Gulf states, one Raphael Le Magoariec.
Since Qatar bought the club in 2011 for just over €70 million and under Qatari ownership PSG have gone from perennial underachievers to one of Europe’s most glamorous and successful clubs. The PSG brand is currently valued at over €4 billion.
The Gulf state has since injected a lot of money into the club – an estimated €2bn on transfers and player purchases, buying superstars such as Thiago Silva, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Beckham and Lionel Messi. In 2017 the club secured Neymar from Barcelona for €222m and Kylian Mbappé from Monaco for €180m.
Money has also been pumped into bricks and mortar – more than €200m has been spent on renovating PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, and €300m on building a new training centre.
No doubt all this investment “gamble” by Qatar is bearing fruit, with PSG coming into Sunday’s game after they had already secured their 13th Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France in an all-around excellent season for Luis Enrique’s side.For PSG reaching the final on their debut in the competition is something to be proud of; however, Luis Enrique and his playing staff have clearly come to win.
A powerhouse of a performance against Real Madrid in the semi-final signalled their intent, and Chelsea will need to be at their very best to stop a team that are fast becoming the ones to beat among the great and the good in world football.
Luis Enrique had always opined that PSG would be a much more fluid and coherent outfit without any superstar players in the side and he has been proved right, though the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue have emerged from the shadows of Messrs Mbappe, Neymar and Messi, to drive the Parisiens on.
Chelsea have quietly eased themselves into the final and, despite a 3-1 loss to Flamengo, they’ve comfortably seen off LAFC (2-0), ES Tunis (3-0), Benfica (4-1), Palmeiras (2-1) and Fluminense (2-0).
Enzo Maresca’s style of play mirrors that of Luis Enrique’s in that he wants his players on the front foot at all times, playing expansive and attacking football with a high-press.
Chelsea have not conceded a first-half goal in this year’s FIFA Club World Cup whereas PSG have scored 10 first-half goals in this year’s competition, including three against Real Madrid in the semi-final.
The Blues have been here twice before, losing to Brazilian giants Corinthians in 2012, before winning that coveted title after beating Palmeiras in the 2021 final.
Luis Enrique had always opined that PSG would be a much more fluid and coherent outfit without any superstar players in the side and he has been proved right, though the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue have emerged from the shadows of Messrs Mbappe, Neymar and Messi, to drive the Parisiens on.
Enzo Maresca’s style of play mirrors that of Luis Enrique’s in that he wants his players on the front foot at all times, playing expansive and attacking football with a high-press.
Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain meet for the first time since PSG’s 4-2 aggregate win in the 2015/16 Champions League last 16. Before that, Chelsea had only one loss in six matches against the French side (two wins, three draws). This will be the first major international final contested between teams from England and France.
Kick-off is 3pm local time, 9pm SA time at the 82,500-capacity stadium which currently hosts the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets and has been chosen to host next year’s World Cup final.
