MUNICH (AP) — Bayern Munich fans protested against Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi during the teams’ Champions League match on Tuesday.
The supporters in Bayern's stadium's Südkurve held up several banners making clear their opposition to the Qatari businessman during the first half of Bayern's 1-0 win.
One banner showed Al-Khelaifi’s face with a line over it, another accused him of being “plutocratic” with an expletive, and more banners read: “Minister, club owner, TV rights holder, UEFA ExCo member & ECA chairman all in one?”
The 51-year-old Al-Khelaifi is unpopular among the Bayern fans for his influence on European soccer as chairman of the European Club Association, Qatar Sports Investments — the owner of PSG — and the Qatari state-owned beIN media group. He also joined UEFA’s executive committee in 2019.
Al-Khelaifi has long drawn scrutiny for apparent conflicts of interest because of his various roles. The ECA has a big influence on shaping the Champions League's playing format and commercial strategy, while beIN is one of the competition's major broadcast partners.
In 2022, UEFA left Al-Khelaifi unpunished despite finding PSG guilty of misconduct for confrontations with match officials after losing in the Champions League. There were heated scenes involving Al-Khelaifi and then-PSG sporting director Leonardo after a defeat to Real Madrid. UEFA sanctioned Leonardo but did not cite Al-Khelaifi in its disciplinary statement, nor did it say why.
Al-Khelaifi, a former tennis professional, is a longtime friend of Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, an International Olympic Committee member who is influential in global sports.
Bayern fans had long protested against their own club’s sponsorship deals with Qatar, which was accused of human rights abuses before it hosted the 2022 World Cup. The fans eventually got their way last year when Bayern’s long-running sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways was not renewed.
The Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported at the time that the decision came from Qatar. Sheikh Tamim was reportedly unhappy with the Bayern fans’ constant criticism and the club’s failure to distance itself from their protests.
Kim Min-jae’s first-half header was enough for Bayern's victory, its seventh straight without conceding across all competitions. PSG forward Ousmane Dembelé was sent off early in the second half.
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The Associated Press
