PSG become Real Madrid's public enemy due to European Super League fiasco: Reports
According to Spanish sports daily Marca, the relationship between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has reached a point where they could be considered public enemies.
The two clubs used to be close allies. However, their relationship started to dip when Los Blancos defeated the French giants 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash in 2018. Real previously won the first leg 2-1 in France.
That was the start of what seems to be a rivalry on a larger scale. But the real hole in their relationship started during the European Super League (ESL) fiasco.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was the main advocate for the ESL. He had his PSG counterpart Nasser Al-Khelaifi's back as well. However, Al-Khelaifi eventually took a different direction than Perez.
The PSG supremo tried to use the situation in his aid to become the president of the European Club Association (ECA). That didn't sit well with Perez.
The Spaniard recently gave the French club a reminder of the importance Los Blancos carry on the scene of European football.
He also indirectly questioned the Financial Fair Play (FFP) compliance of the French club. PSG were one of the eight European clubs to be handed a hefty fine of €65 million for breaching FFP rules.
Here's what Perez said at a recent conference (via The Telegraph):
“And they [opposition] want the abuses of financial fair play by certain clubs, abuses we all know about, to be simply accepted, without consequences for their behaviour."
The 75-year-old added:
"Instead of addressing the debate on all these issues, they keep trying to focus criticism towards the Super League exclusively on its supposed format by repeatedly saying that it does not take merit into account. But this is not true."
Al-Khelaifi's dislike towards Los Blaancos further magnified when the Spanish club wanted to take their crown jewel Kylian Mbappe away from the Parc des Princes last summer. The Parisians had to break the bank and seal a record deal as they managed to tie down the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner to a new deal.
Real Madrid star confirms he rejected PSG
Aurelien Tchouameni is slowly becoming one of the hottest prospects in European football. Since his move to Real Madrid from AS Monaco last summer, the Frenchman has already made 10 appearances across competitions for Los Blancos, providing two assists.
In a recent interview with Telefoot, as reported by GOAL, Tchouameni confirmed that he rejected PSG in favor of joining Real Madrid. He said:
"I didn’t hesitate with PSG. It’s also a big European club, but I had no doubts. I only wanted Real Madrid."
Real beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 in a Champions League group stage fixture on Wednesday night, October 5.