La Liga files complaint against PSG to European Commission
BARCELONA - Spanish top flight La Liga filed a complaint against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday to the European Commission, arguing the French side are distorting markets through Qatari subsidies.
La Liga allege that PSG have received subsidies from the Gulf state which have allowed the club to sign top players and coaches, distorting national and European Union markets.
"PSG obtains resources on non-market terms which distort several closely related markets, allowing PSG to use those foreign subsidies to sign top players and coaches well above its potential in a normal market situation," said La Liga in a statement.
"It is also able to secure sponsorship income which does not correspond to market values. This enables them to boost their sporting performance, as well as affecting the ability of rival clubs to recruit." La Liga hope PSG will be prevented from continuing to take advantage in this way because of a new EU foreign subsidies regulation which came into force from July 12, 2023.
The French club signed Ousmane Dembele from La Liga champions Barcelona earlier Saturday for 50 million euros ($54 million).
Over the past decade PSG have made several expensive signings, including splashing a world record fee of 222 million euros on Barcelona winger Neymar in 2017.
PSG also renewed striker Kylian Mbappe's contract in 2022 when he seemed likely to sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer.
La Liga president Javier Tebas called the forward's new deal - worth hundreds of millions of euros - an "insult to football".
Mbappe is currently in a stand-off with PSG over his deal, which he is refusing to renew - meaning he can leave for free in the summer of 2024.
Last year La Liga reported PSG and Premier League side Manchester City, who are owned by an Abu Dhabi-based group, to UEFA, for allegedly violating financial fair play rules. - AFP
