THURSDAY, France 2 broadcast his episode of Additional investigation named “Power, scandal and big money” To evoke Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and PSG. A 9 -month survey that promised big revelations around the Parisian president's methods with the testimony of several French football players but not only. The former shareholder and former co-president of AS Saint-Etienne, Bernard Caïazzo was also announced as one of the personalities interviewed in this report. But his interview was ultimately not broadcast at all by the teams Additional investigation. A decision he learned a few days before the dissemination and that he judges dishonest, believing that the report is borne against Nasser al-Khelaïfi without hearing the contrary opinions.
French Football Weekly: Explain the situation to us around this complement of investigation into Nasser Al-Khelaïfi
Bernard Caïazzo: I was contacted several months ago, but they mainly used my name. I did an interview, which I did not want to do at the start, in November. I wasted time because they used my name two weeks ago to promote the show. Me, I had given a frank interview on what I thought of Nasser and then I was announced two days before my passage will not be kept. I don't know the reasons. I said it was a lack of respect and that I found it incorrect. I just think it was a programs thoroughly.
FM: What did you think of this investigation broadcast this Thursday?
BC: Honestly, they do not know football. 9 months of investigation, I do not know if the journalist worked in football … But explaining to us that club president can influence the supporters according to the banners they put … it's a joke. They do not realize. If you have a Marseillais, trained in Marseille who leaves free and signs at PSG, he thinks that the supporters will not put banners to insult his mother, his father, his grandfather? It's unfortunate, huh, but Nasser Al-Khelaïfi does not have a control on it. And especially as if Nasser was going to take care of that. They do not understand that Nasser, for example, he also has a role of president of the ECA. He chats with Infantino, he will not get bored with stories of stands.
FM: There is also this digital army story …
BC: The digital army, so there are 60 guys in Tunis who do digital to put publications on social networks. Ah good ? So there are 100 million supporters and they do not send anything on the networks. Do you sincerely think that if there is a heavy tendency of supporters who are not happy, it only takes 60 people to Tunis to compensate? Me, if I am a journalist, I would have liked to meet two or three of these people. It is not possible that among these 60 people who no longer work at PSG, obviously, nobody comes to tell what he does concretely, what he is told.
FM: So you don't think this digital army paid by PSG?
BC: I think there are companies that do this to promote the development of their product. I do not know these societies, I have never met. But it must exist. But at the football level … The media power of football is so important, even more at PSG, it's not a team of an agency that will thwart a heavy trend when PSG plays badly etc. It is not 1000 messages that will change things.
FM: no, but the report evokes above all messages to descend certain players for example
BC: But if the player is right, he has so many followers that he will have support. I don't know, I don't know these subjects. Me, what shocked me was that 24 hours before this report, I was contacted to tell me “Sorry, we won't pass your interview” when he ran after 10 days in November. He told me that club presidents did not want to speak. But that's normal, there is a golden rule, we do not criticize ourselves publicly between club presidents otherwise it would be every morning. So I said okay to talk.
FM: What is your link with Nasser Al-Khelaïfi?
BC: Nasser, it is I who receive him for the first time in Paris. I was president of the Ligue 1. college. I argued once with him, the day of the election of Vincent Labrune. Because I had voted Labrune and Nasser did not want, he had asked me to vote Denisot. We had a severe hanging. But it happens everywhere. I have seen clashes. Once between Jean-Claude Plessis and Jean-Michel Aulas. Or between Aulas and Diouf, I even thought they were going to put themselves on their mouths. I was 14 years old on the board of directors of the League, vice-president of the League, I have the absolute record. I had to miss a meeting in 14 years. And myself, I had clashes as with Thiriez, Aulas and even Olivier Sadran. One day, he even said to me “when you walk in the street, be careful who is behind you”, I laughed. In nervousness, people can say things.
FM: There is this sequence during the meeting too (Editor's note: where Nak gets carried against John Textor and Joseph Oughourlian)…
BC: Nasser is upset, it doesn't go well. People always count on beIN to save the situation. He has the impression that by putting 100 million, he made the maximum effort. We are on the eve of the championship. Everyone is on edge. And it explains. The losses for many clubs, it will put them in not possible situations.
FM: This double cap president of the PSG-President of Bein in the middle of a meeting of TV rights does not bother you?
BC: I'll tell you. I have participated in all tenders since 2008, Bein has saved the situation several times. Nasser saved the situation. And then there is a profitability problem. Nasser cannot do what he wants, play on Qatar money. People think it can come out 600 million like that, to help. It is impossible. Afterwards, it is true that there is an annoyance, but it is not the character of Nasser.
FM: What is the character of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi precisely?
BC: All the people who go to the VIP square will say that it is the most delicious of the presidents. Before, I remember Leproux (Editor's note: the former president of PSG), no one could see it. When we were going to play at the Parc des Princes, he received you like a dog. Whoever receives the best of all clubs is Nasser and everyone will say. But he's like everyone else, he has his faults. He has certainties, I told him. When you have agreements, but certainties are something else. Nasser his fault is that he is a competitor, he absolutely wants to succeed. He has a mission and wants to succeed in all his ambitions, but it is normal, because the Emir gives him enormous confidence.
