Bayern Munich apologised to Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi after the German club’s fans displayed a banner that personally attacked him during Tuesday’s Champions League game between the two teams at the Allianz Arena.
The banner questioned how Qatari Al-Khelaifi could be a club owner, a UEFA Executive Committee member, the chairman of the European Club Association and a television rights holder as beIN chairman.
It called him “plutocratic” and used an expletive.
“FC Bayern would like to apologise when its opponents and their representatives in its stadium feel personally attacked in this manner and tone, and are offended as a result,” Bayern said in a statement.
“The club would like to make it clear that these banners were not authorised by FC Bayern and do not reflect its stance. They are not in keeping with the good and long-standing relationship between the two clubs.
“The tone of these banners also goes against the style of FC Bayern and the respectful relationship the club has with its international partners.”
Bayern beat PSG 1-0 thanks to Kim Min-Jae’s goal while the French side were reduced to 10 men when Ousmane Dembélé was sent off just before the hour mark.
The 51-year-old Al-Khelaifi is unpopular among the Bayern fans for his influence on European soccer as chairman of the European Club Association, Qatar Sports Investments — the owner of PSG — and the Qatari state-owned beIN media group. He also joined UEFA’s executive committee in 2019.
Al-Khelaifi has long drawn scrutiny for apparent conflicts of interest because of his various roles. The ECA has a big influence on shaping the Champions League’s playing format and commercial strategy, while beIN is one of the competition’s major broadcast partners.
In 2022, UEFA left Al-Khelaifi unpunished despite finding PSG guilty of misconduct for confrontations with match officials after losing in the Champions League. There were heated scenes involving Al-Khelaifi and then-PSG sporting director Leonardo after a defeat to Real Madrid. UEFA sanctioned Leonardo, but did not cite Al-Khelaifi in its disciplinary statement, nor did it say why.
Al-Khelaifi, a former tennis professional, is a longtime friend of Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, an International Olympic Committee member who is influential in global sports.
Bayern fans had long protested against their own club’s sponsorship deals with Qatar, which was accused of human rights abuses before it hosted the 2022 World Cup. The fans eventually got their way last year when Bayern’s long-running sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways was not renewed.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.
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