fbloke said:
Qatar have spent and are spending billions in football from being a sponsor at Barca through to hosting the WC and lots in between.
I suspect they fee that the have a lot less to lose than football has if they have to go their separate ways?
It's also worth nothing that in France in particular, part of the "deal" between Sarkozy, PSG, and the Qatari's was that Qatar, via it's Al Jazeera tv network, would bring competition to Canal Plus for TV rights for ligue 1 thus increasing the amount of money each club gets. This has come to fruition as BeinSport the Al Jazeera owned network here in France has won the rights to all PL, CL, and all Ligue 1 games from next season.
Although there has been the usual sniping and cynicism from the chairmen of certain clubs in France about what PSG have done, there has also been a tacit acknowledgement that it is good for the league and good for the game on the whole in France. Leonardo is on record saying that PSG would rather buy French players from French clubs so that money they spend goes back into French football. In turn top clubs have said they would rather sell to Paris than see their players go abroad.
I've posted this before, but it was Sarkozy who encouraged QSI to buy PSG. He hosted a 'meeting' at the Elysee Palace soon after being voted into office at which both Platini the Qatari's were present. QSI wanted Platini's vote for the WC, and Sarkozy wanted the team he supported to be bought by someone like Sheikh Mansour. A deal was struck that night. This is all documented and common knowledge in France.
Platini's FFP proposals are toothless, which makes the PL's proposals gumless!
