When Qatar bought Paris Saint-Germain in 2011, it looked like they would quickly spend their way to the top. They’ve shed stars for a likeable young side, but it’s hard to see this as a win for football.
This was a night of firsts. A firstChampions Leaguefor Paris Saint-Germain. The first time a final has been won by five goals. And a first European trophy for Qatar.
"Everyone doubted us," said Qatari club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi after the match. " A lot of people didn't have faith in our project. Today we've proved it. Honestly, I can't believe it, we won 5-0. It's a dream,
As PSG coach Luis Enrique and his players bounced joyfully on theMunichpitch before lifting up Al-Khelaifi after a stylish 5-0 dismantling of Inter on Saturday night, Qatar Airways advertising provided both backdrop and a further reminder of the engine of their success.
After 14 years of near misses, implosions and the departures of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and the rest of the big names, Qatari Sports Investments, which is operated by the Qatari government, had finally got the statement win it craved. Given that Inter warmed up with Qatar Airways emblazoned on their training kit too, perhaps they couldn't really lose.
That Qatar Airways branding is a familiar sight in Munich, with Bayern Munich — who usually play their home matches at this stadium — wearing the logo on their sleeves untilthe deal ended in 2023, following intense pressure from fans about the country's human rights record.
Michael Ott led fan pressure at the time and told DW that football higher-ups will not be forced to cut their ties with countries with questionable human rights records.
"It was a deception. You feel a bit betrayed, but I think we expected it," he said of the fact thatBayern signed a new deal, with another country with a questionable record, Rwanda, shortly after they ended their public relationship with Qatar.
"All signs were showing the deal wasn't continued because of Qatar and not because of the Bayern officials. There wasn't really a shift in the mindset of the Bayern officials."
Now the win with PSG has even more eyes on Al-Khelaifi, whose claim to be the most important man in football grows ever stronger.
As well as being president of PSG, the 51-year-old former tennis player is chairman of the European Clubs Association — which represents the interests of 700 European clubs — is on the executive committee of UEFA — which organizes European football including the Champions League — and on the organizing committee for the upcomingFIFA World Club Cup. He is also a minister without portfolio in the Qatari government and chairman of state-owned broadcaster BeIn Sports, which has bought the rights to the Champions League.
Bayern's fans, and German fans in general, tend to object to state ownership of clubs that were once community assets and made the point when PSG visited Munich last November. They raised a huge banner of Al-Khelaifi with a red line through it. The same image was stuck to escalators, walls and benches across the city on Saturday.
Paris, however, seems largely to have welcomed Qatar and Al-Khelaifi.
Ott, who now lives in France, said the attitude of PSG fans is "a stark contrast to Germany."
"Of course, they have been speaking about human rights problems before the [2022 Qatar] World Cup, but way less than in Germany, and when I speak to the French, most of them care way less than the Germans about this topic," he said.
"It has taken longer than we imagined but we have won the Champions League," PSG fan Sebastian told DW shortly after the match. "The players were so good tonight but of course we needed the money from the owners to get here. They have been great for us. This is just about football."
As the big screen camera panned to Al-Khelaifi just before the trophy was presented, the crowd greeted him with warm applause. The Qatari reciprocated then took his place in the lineup of dignitaries, hugging each player as they collected their medals.
About an hour earlier as, Doue, 19, finished yet another sumptuous team move to score PSG's third goal on 63 minutes, it was easy to see just why so many fans don't concern themselves with the ownership question. Two goals from a French teenager in the most dominant Champions League final performances in memory is exactly the kind of story that draws people to the game.
But Doue isn't quite the homegrown talent narrative of old, he was signed from Rennes for €50 million ($57 million) last year. No other French club has ever spent that much on a player while PSG and Qatar have surpassed it 10 times. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Georgian winger who scored the fourth cost even more, though substitute Senny Mayulu, who added a fifth, has come through the PSG youth system. That mix of smart big money purchases and finally beginning to tap their rich local market of talent will worry more traditional European powerhouses.
For the masses of Parisian fans making their way into the Munich night, there seemed to be no worries at all.