Paris Saint-Germain owners Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) are exploring the possibility of acquiring a minority stake in the Premier League club.
PSG president and QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi met Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy in London last week.
The owners of “Manchester United”, the Glazer family, said that they are looking for new investments, and are also considering the possibility of selling the club.
The owners of “Liverpool” stated that they are “considering the possibility of new shareholders”.
However, at this stage QSI is not targeting specific clubs, who also have a minority stake in Portuguese side Braga.
And despite the meeting with Levy, it is stressed that there was no discussion about QSI buying a stake in Tottenham.
A complete takeover by the Qataris is unlikely, as this would require the sale of PSG. European football’s governing body UEFA has rules that prohibit the ownership of multiple clubs.
According to the rules, “no natural or legal person may control or influence more than one club” in a UEFA club competition.
They define control or influence as:
- owns the majority of shareholders’ voting rights
- has the right to appoint or dismiss the majority of members of the club’s administrative, management or supervisory body
- be a shareholder and single-handedly control the majority of voting rights of shareholders in accordance with the agreement concluded with other shareholders of the club
- the ability to exert a decisive influence on the club’s decision-making by any means
In 2017, RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg – two clubs associated with energy drink maker Red Bull – received UEFA permission to play in the Champions League together next season.
American investment group RedBird Capital, which bought AC Milan from Serie A last year, also has a stake in Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group.
