August 12, (THEWILL) – La Liga has filed an official complaint against Paris Saint-Germain to the European Commission, alleging the French club has distorted the transfer market via subsidies from the State of Qatar.
In a strongly-worded statement, La Liga accused PSG of improperly using funds from its Qatari owners to secure top players and coaches “well above its potential in a normal market situation”. It claims this has artificially inflated PSG’s sporting and commercial position compared to rival clubs.
La Liga argues PSG has breached new EU regulations on foreign subsidies that came into force in July. Under the rules, non-EU state support for companies in the bloc can be investigated if it causes distortion.
This is not the first time La Liga has taken issue with PSG’s spending power. A similar complaint was filed when PSG beat Real Madrid to Kylian Mbappe’s signature in 2021. Tensions remain high between the clubs over the wantaway Mbappe’s future. PSG was ready to accept a record bid from Al Hilal this summer but the striker indicated he was prepared to remain in Paris for another season.
The complaint ratchets up La Liga’s opposition to state-funded clubs like PSG. But the French side can point to their revenue growth and claim subsidies follow EU rules. The Commission will now decide if a formal probe is warranted.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
