LONDON: Paris Saint Germain (PSG) chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s election as a member of the UEFA executive committee is set to be ratified next week during the European governing body’s Congress in Rome, BBC reports.
The 45-year-old Qatari has been elected by the European Club Association (ECA) to be one of its two UEFA delegates. He is also the chairman and CEO of beIN Sport, which is the official broadcaster of major tournaments such as the Premier League and Formula 1 in the MENA region.
Al-Khelaifi commented on the development in a statement: “I am deeply honoured to have been elected.
“I look forward to working alongside members to enhance and develop European football, whilst ensuring that the interests of all the clubs are represented in the decision-making process.”
However, the news has come at a time when he has been accused of bribery by Swiss authorities in their ongoing investigation into beIN’s deal with FIFA for official World Cup rights in 2026 and 2030.
His problems have been compounded with PSG, the Ligue 1 heavyweights in France, allegedly breaking financial fair play (FFP) rules by the UEFA itself ironically.
As a result, the election could be blocked by the likes of LaLiga chairman Javier Tabas and hasn’t been welcomed by many quarters.
ECA, which represents Europe’s biggest clubs, has been seeking to replace ex-Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis after he took a similar role with AC Milan in September 2018.
