Nasser al-Khelaïfi targeted by investigation for illegal taking of interests

Nasser al-Khelaïfi is in turmoil. The president of PSG and beIN Media Group is the subject of a preliminary investigation in France for illegal acquisition of interests in TV rights with the Professional Football League (LFP), the Paris prosecutor's office said on Sunday.

These investigations, revealed by the newspaper L'Equipe, were opened on April 24 and entrusted to the Financial Anti-Corruption Brigade (BFAC), following a report from the Anticor association, said the public prosecutor.

The case dates back to a preparatory meeting in July 2024, by video, for the allocation of football broadcasting rights, the images of which were then made public by the France 2 program Complément d'investigation and L'Equipe. They show strong tensions between PSG president Nasser al-Khelaïfi and other Ligue 1 club presidents.

This meeting was held the day after an offer of 100 million euros from beIN Sports to the LFP for the broadcast of one Ligue 1 match per week. The LFP finally accepted beIN’s offer. Nasser al-Khelaïfi would have “exerted strong pressure on the other presidents of Ligue 1 clubs, with the aim of having the offer proposed by beIN Sports accepted” and implied “that he (was) at the origin” of this offer, claims Anticor.

The anti-corruption association accuses the Qatari businessman of having participated in this meeting “relating to the validation of the beIN Sports offer, while he was also president of beIN Media Group”. By acting in this way, he “took an interest likely to compromise his impartiality, his independence or his objectivity, in an operation for which he was responsible for ensuring surveillance”, Anticor estimated in his report.

Accusations strongly contested by the defense. “The allegations made against Nasser al-Khelaïfi are unfounded: neither legal nor factual,” his lawyer, Renaud Semerdjian, responded on Sunday. His client “has always acted independently, impartially and objectively, in all circumstances,” he insisted.