Man Utd employees will look on enviously at touching gesture from PSG president
Paris Saint-Germain have reached the Champions League final, with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi making an effort to show his appreciation to all of the club's employees
Manchester United's staff will be looking on enviously at matters at Paris Saint-Germain after the French giants invited all of their employees to the Champions League final. PSG will face Inter Milan at the showpiece event in Munich at the end of the month.
This is the second time in five years PSG have reached the final, though they are bidding to win the competition for the first time. Their sole European title came back in 1996 with the Cup Winners' Cup.
But they are now the favourites to finally break their Champions League hoodoo under the management of the impressive Luis Enrique. With his club on the verge of history, president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has decided to reward PSG's staff for their hard work.
The Qatari's gift comes in the form of an invitation to travel to the Allianz Arena. The tickets will come out of the 18,000 allocation given to the French giants by UEFA for the huge game in Germany.
Al-Khelaifi announced the news in a club-wide email sent on Friday morning. Each employee will be informed of the practical arrangements shortly, with PSG keen to show their appreciation.
According to RMC Sport, in his email Al-Khelaifi emphasised the club's collective success, "from the players on the pitch, to our technical staff, including all the teams in each department of PSG," to explain his approach.
Al-Khelaifi's gift stands in sharp contrast to United's approach for last year's FA Cup final. The Red Devils faced Manchester City at Wembley, with staff forced to pay for return travel, as well as accomodation and food out of their own pocket.
That was a cost-cutting move from controlling co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and it remains to be seen how the club will approach staff tickets for the Europa League final. Al-Khelaifi is seeking to create a more wholesome atmosphere at the Parc des Princes.
After the semi-final win over Arsenal, he said: "If you had told me, three games before the end of the group stage, when we might not have qualified for the play-offs, that we would get there... But I have always had confidence in my players, in my coach, the staff.
"I felt that there was something special this season, on the pitch, off it, everyone fighting for each other, everyone happy and proud to fight on the jersey. The supporters were magnificent again."
Boss Enrique is desperate to finally bring the Champions League trophy to the French capital. He said on Friday: "This will be the first Champions League final with the fans. Without them, it's not really a final. If a team deserves to win, after waiting so long, it's PSG.
"I know the club was founded the year I was born. Let's hope this connection proves true and we can secure the Champions League. We'll try to be the first. The problem is that there will definitely be one team that won't succeed with Inter Milan, but I hope we win.
"When the festive moments arrive, there's nothing more beautiful than giving our work to others. We'll try to finish with the cherry on the cake. The team and the fans deserve it. We deserve this chance to play in this final, just like last year."
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