Latest news with #Qatari-owned
News18
a day ago
- Sport
- News18
Champions D'Europe: UCL Winners PSG Return To Paris As Heroes
Last Updated: First-time UEFA Champions League winners PSG were received in befitting fashion on their return to the French Capital City after their 5-0 win over Inter Milan. PSG were welcomed by hordes of adoring fans on their return to the French Capital City of Paris on Sunday, following their heroics in Munich as Luis Enrique's men clinched their maiden UEFA Champions League title with a thumping 5-0 victory over Inter Milan a day earlier. There was stringent security surrounding the parade as fans gathered at the Champs-Élysées to mark the historic occasion, after two people were reported dead and a police officer was put into an induced coma due to the wild celebrations PSG's win set off in France. Desire Doue starred with a brace, while Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu all also found the back of the net in an emphatic performance to give the Qatari-owned side their first-ever Champions League title. French President Emmanuel Macron, who lauded the side's feat and hosted them following the parade, also took the event to condemn the devastation caused in the name of celebrations in the European nation following PSG's continental crown. 'Nothing can justify what has happened in the last few hours, the violent clashes are unacceptable," the French leader said. 'We will pursue, we will punish, we will be relentless," the 47-year-old coninued. 'The violent clashes that took place are unacceptable and have come at a heavy cost: two people are dead, around 30 police officers and several firefighters have been injured," Macron said. 'My thoughts are also with the police officer in Coutances who is currently in a coma," he added. 'These isolated acts are contrary to the club's values and in no way represent the vast majority of our supporters, whose exemplary behaviour throughout the season deserves to be commended," the club said on Sunday. First Published: June 02, 2025, 00:49 IST
France 24
2 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
PSG's emphatic Champions League triumph gives Qatari owners long-awaited glory
PSG could not win European football's biggest prize in previous seasons with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, or later with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, and even after that when they added Lionel Messi to the mix. But they have done it now after shifting the focus away from signing glamorous superstars and letting a brilliant coach in Luis Enrique work with a hungry, dynamic young team. PSG have been Europe's best side in 2025, but the display against Inter Milan in Munich topped it all as they romped to a 5-0 victory, the biggest win in the final in the competition's history. It was ultimately worth the long wait for the Gulf owners who arrived in 2011 when Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) bought an ailing club. Qatar got the perfect World Cup final in 2022, when Messi's Argentina beat Mbappe's France on an epic night in Doha, and now Qatari-owned PSG have the most stunning Champions League final win. It is easy to forget now, but they lost three of their first five games in the tournament this season. "We had a difficult start. Everyone criticised us and doubted us. Lots of people didn't believe in our project," PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi told broadcaster Canal Plus. "The objective now is to win again. It has taken 14 years of hard work but we are building something for the future." Khelaifi, who is close to Qatar's ruler and holds several influential positions in football including as chairman of the European Club Association, was beaming as he celebrated with the trophy. The first of many? It is just the second time any French club has won it after Marseille in 1993. It surely won't take over 30 years for PSG to win another Champions League, especially as this thrilling young side should now stay together for a long time. The average age of their starting line-up on Saturday was under 25 and their oldest player is Marquinhos at 31 -- he has been there since 2013. "I have suffered and I have grown with this team," the Brazilian told broadcaster M6. "My thoughts are with all the players who played here but were not able to win it." It has required 14 years, eight coaches, and over two billion euros ($2.27 billion) spent on transfer fees for QSI to get here. In the last 12 campaigns before this season, PSG reached one final, losing to Bayern Munich in Lisbon in 2020. There were two semi-final defeats, but there have also been humiliating collapses in the last 16 against Barcelona in 2017, Manchester United in 2019 and Real Madrid in 2022. "I said when I came in that the objective was to win important trophies, and the only one missing was the Champions League," said Luis Enrique, appointed in 2023. Club World Cup the next target After Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City's victory two years ago, also against Inter, it is another triumph for a club with mega-rich Gulf owners. PSG's victory was always only a matter of time. Their revenue last year of just over 800 million euros made them the third-richest club in analysts Deloitte's Football Money League. They sat behind only Real and City, and just ahead of traditional European aristocrats United, Bayern and Barcelona. PSG's last reported annual wage bill was close to double Inter's entire revenues. The difference with past years is that they are now spending the money more intelligently, on the likes of Saturday's two-goal hero Desire Doue, Joao Neves and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Luis Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos recently signed new contracts with the club who also won all three available titles in France this season. PSG will now take away more than 100 million euros just in prize money from winning the Champions League, and there is the chance for more glory and riches as they head to the highly lucrative FIFA Club World Cup in the USA. Qatar-owned PSG's quest for domination will not stop with Europe. "I think it is an incredible competition," said Luis Enrique, whose side face Atletico Madrid in Los Angeles in two weeks' time.
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League in style
Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time by thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 on Saturday in the most one-sided final in the competition's history. Teenager Desire Doue scored twice for PSG and set up the opening goal for Achraf Hakimi in Munich's Allianz Arena before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made it four and then 19-year-old substitute Senny Mayulu completed the scoring. PSG took the lead after 12 minutes when Hakimi sidefooted home a pass from Doue. The Parisians went 2-0 ahead eight minutes later when their defender Willian Pacho improbably kept the ball from going out at the PSG end and the resulting fast-flowing move led to Doue firing in a deflected shot that evaded Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. PSG made it 3-0 with a goal created by Vitinha's surging run. He exchanged passes with Ousmane Dembele, before delivering a pass into the path of 19-year-old Doue who drilled the ball into the net. The match was put beyond doubt by Georgian international Kvaratskhelia's brilliant low finish before Mayulu rounded off a slick passing move. Qatari-owned PSG are just the second French club since Marseille in 1993 to win European football's top trophy. Agence France-Presse
France 24
2 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League in style
Teenager Desire Doue scored twice for PSG and set up the opening goal for Achraf Hakimi in Munich's Allianz Arena before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made it four and then 19-year-old substitute Senny Mayulu completed the scoring. PSG took the lead after 12 minutes when Hakimi sidefooted home a pass from Doue. The Parisians went 2-0 ahead eight minutes later when their defender Willian Pacho improbably kept the ball from going out at the PSG end and the resulting fast-flowing move led to Doue firing in a deflected shot that evaded Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer. PSG made it 3-0 with a goal created by Vitinha's surging run. He exchanged passes with Ousmane Dembele, before delivering a pass into the path of 19-year-old Doue who drilled the ball into the net. The match was put beyond doubt by Georgian international Kvaratskhelia's brilliant low finish before Mayulu rounded off a slick passing move. Qatari-owned PSG are just the second French club since Marseille in 1993 to win European football's top trophy.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Champions League trophy has been out of reach for PSG
Billions of dollars have been spent and some of the world's greatest players have come and gone, yet the Champions League trophy has remained agonizingly out of reach for Paris Saint-Germain. That could be about to change The Qatari-owned team is one game away from European club soccer's most prestigious prize, with Inter Milan standing in the way in Saturday's (May 31, 2025) final in Munich. PSG is the favorite, with one of the most exciting teams around, having produced thrilling performances to get past Manchester City and Liverpool. It feels like its time has finally come. But in Inter it faces a wily opponent that is in its second final in three seasons and cut down a rampant Barcelona in an epic semifinal — winning 7-6 on aggregate. The warning signs are there for PSG PSG's run to the final has justified a shift in direction from the bling culture of superstar signings to focus more on young French talent. Owned by Qatar Sports Investments since 2011, PSG signed some of the biggest names in soccer including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi without ever getting its hands on the trophy it craves most of all. Messi, Neymar and Mbappe have all gone, and without those iconic figures PSG looks a more complete team than ever. But that has come at some cost. Players like Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were signed for an estimated $240 million combined in a squad assembled at spectacular expense. Meanwhile, Inter has been savvy in the market — signing older players and picking up free agents to put together a team that has reached two Champions League finals in three years — losing to Man City in 2023 — and won one Italian title in that time. PSG's only previous final was in 2020, a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich. It was a semifinalist in 2021 and 2024. Elimination in the round of 16 in 2022 and 2023 preceded the decision by president Nasser Al Khelaifi to change his transfer strategy. This year is only the second time since 2011 that three-time champion Inter has advanced beyond the round of 16. Inter last won the Champions League in 2010 under Jose Mourinho. Dembele has been one of the outstanding players in Europe this season with 30 goals in all competitions for PSG, including a run of 24 in 18 games from December to March. Kvaratskhelia was signed from Napoli in January and sparked a turnaround in PSG's fortunes in the Champions League when it looked in danger of being eliminated at the league stage. The Georgian forward was long considered one of the brightest talents in Europe before making the move and has added another dimension to an-already thrilling PSG attack. Midfielders Vitinha and Joao Neves are the engine room, hungrily hunting down the ball when out of possession and springing attacks with the speed of their passing. World Cup winner Lautaro Martinez is Inter's standout player and became the club's all-time leading scorer in the Champions League this season. Defender Denzel Dumfries played a huge role in beating Barcelona with two goals in the first leg at the Nou Camp and goalkeeper Yann Sommer pulled off a string of saves to keep Inter in the tie in the second leg. 'Our opponent, we hold the utmost respect for," Martinez said. 'But with the weapons we've got, we want to hit them where it hurts.' A Champions League winner with Barcelona in 2015, Luis Enrique has won 12 major trophies in spells with the Catalan club and now PSG. If French champion PSG triumphs on Saturday (May 31, 2025) he would become the seventh coach to win the Champions League or European Cup with two different teams. The list includes Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola and Mourinho. Inter's Simone Inzaghi is hoping to win his first Champions League title at the second time of asking after defeat to City two years ago. Then, as now, Inter was the underdog, and came close to upsetting Guardiola's all-conquering City. 'Matches don't come down to wage bills or turnover, it's the players on the pitch,' Inzaghi said on Friday (May 30, 2025). "We were huge underdogs two years ago and went toe to toe. 'I dreamt of playing the Champions League final. I didn't do it as a player, but thanks to this group of players I've been in two finals as a head coach.' Inzaghi cannot match Enrique's trophy count but has impressed at Inter where he won Serie A last year beside two Italian Cups, his third overall. Only a week ago, Inter surrendered the Serie A title by one point.
