Nasser al-Khelaifi, the Qatari president of French soccer membership Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), is below investigation in France on suspicion of an unlawful battle of curiosity, prosecutors in Paris mentioned on Sunday.
The preliminary probe is linked to his twin stewardship of the Champions League title holders and the beIN Media Group and entails a gathering on broadcasting rights with the French soccer league's representatives in July 2024, the prosecutor's workplace mentioned, confirming a report in L'Equipe sports activities newspaper.
The assembly was held the day after beIN Sports activities made a 100-million-euro ($115-million) supply for rights to broadcast one Ligue 1 match per week. France's skilled soccer league later accepted the beIN supply.
The newest investigation into al-Khelaifi was launched in April after a tip-off from the anti-graft Anticor affiliation, with proceedings entrusted to the anti-corruption and finance police.
In response to a supply near the case, Anticor alleges that al-Khelaifi took half in discussions on the validation of beIN Sports activities' bid regardless of additionally serving as chairman of beIN Media Group, making a battle of curiosity.
Anticor additionally alleges that al-Khelaifi exerted stress on different Ligue 1 membership presidents to assist the beIN Sports activities proposal, the supply mentioned.
– Claims rejected –
Al-Khelaifi's lawyer, Renaud Semerdjian, rejected the claims.
"The allegations made towards Mr Nasser al-Khelaifi are with out foundation, neither legally nor factually," he instructed AFP.
The lawyer mentioned his consumer had "all the time acted in an unbiased, neutral and goal method".
The PSG chief, who has led the French Ligue 1 champions since its 2011 takeover by Qatar Sports activities Investments with the dream of constructing the workforce Europe's finest, has confronted a number of authorized circumstances lately.
In February 2025, he was charged with complicity in abuse of energy regarding shareholder voting at an organization.
Earlier expenses towards Al-Khelaifi for alleged corruption over Qatar's bids for the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships had been definitively annulled in mid-February 2023 by France's Court docket of Cassation, which dominated the French justice system didn’t have the suitable to prosecute him.
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