Ballon d’Or 2021, PSG has dirty hands

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By: Manu Tournoux

Ballon d'Or 2021, PSG has dirty hands

PSG would have lobbied with all its weight to have the Ballon d’Or awarded to Messi in 2021.

According to an indiscretion from Le Monde, Paris Saint-Germain would have been very generous towards Pascal Ferré, the person responsible for organizing the Ballon d’Or. And the Ile-de-France club would then have engaged in lobbying in order to have the Grail awarded to Lionel Messi in 2021.

While the investigation into the activities of Jean-Martial Ribes, the former communications director of PSG (2017-2022), is in full swing, the revelations are multiplying. The latter was indicted in December 2023 for “active corruption and influence peddling” and several cases have emerged since.

PSG “gifts” incriminated

Pascal Ferré was close to Ribes and in addition to tickets to watch the matches, the journalist would have benefited from some favors from Qatar, the country of the owners of PSG, notably by going to Doha for the Club World Cup at the end of 2019, or for “a tennis stay” on the sidelines of an ATP tournament, at the beginning of 2020. After the revelations of the tax arrangements made at the time of Neymar’s arrival, this is starting to do a lot for PSG…

French Football Weekly

Written by:

Manu Tournoux

Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team. As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.