After undergoing a takeover by Qatar Sports Investment, Paris Saint-Germain became the poster boy for everything that’s wrong with the sport of football. With an entire country backing them financially, the capital club received criticism, especially from clubs with stable economic models, such as FC Bayern Munich.
The chairman of the board of directors for Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, has always criticized Les Parisiens in the past as he’s blamed them and Manchester City FC for the outrageous transfer fees in the market.
Rummenigge in the past attacked PSG for soaring prices in the transfer markets thanks to its economic power. However, it seems that his opinion of the French club is changing. Rummenigge has a new respect for PSG, their most recent opponent to play in the Champions League final, as he stated in an interview with Le Figaro (via Culture PSG).
“Thanks to the investments of its shareholder and the work of Nasser, PSG today plays a role very important in Europe. It is the French team that shines, and their country should be proud of PSG,” Rummenigge said. “I know they are often criticized for the financial aspect, their expensive player purchases. But all this was ultimately very useful for Ligue 1 and French football.”
Then Rummenigge referred to manager Thomas Tuchel’s squad’s ambitions and a Ligue 1 level that, for him, is better than some of his detractors.
“I fully understand this obsession because PSG is today one of the best clubs in the world. When you have such a talented team, you inevitably have high ambitions. Beating them in the final was difficult for us. Paris can aspire to the final and the title every year,” Rummenigge said.
“I don’t feel that Ligue 1 is as bad and boring as some would say, to the point of turning off the TV or not going to the stadium. Of course, it is difficult to find a competitor as strong as Paris, but there are Marseille and Lyon. Let’s not forget that French football as a whole has a very good reputation internationally.”
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