There are reports from media outlets in England that the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar is interested in purchasing a Premier League club. Qatar currently owns PSG and has transformed them in recent years from also-rans in Ligue 1 to a perennial champion. The reports suggest that Qatar is interested in purchasing Tottenham Hotspur and sports minister Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali confirmed that he is a fan of the North London club.
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Salah bin Ghanem was speaking to the Associated Press and had this to say about Tottenham: “Yes, of course. Personally speaking, I like the English Premier League, personally speaking. Since I was young I have jerseys. I’m not going to tell you which clubs — I said it once and the guy was upset with me because he was an Arsenal … I like all jerseys of Tottenham and I had two of them.”
He was also asked if he would like to own a club in the Premier League and said, “of course. Definitely — 100 percent — [but] it’s very challenging. I don’t know if at that time I would have the energy really to be in the spotlight, especially the English league — you are under pressure always.”
The Sun claims that Qatar is planning on spending a billion pounds in a hostile takeover of Tottenham in order to turn them in to the next Premier League power. Their vision is likely to replicate the success that Abu Dhabi-based ownership of Manchester City have achieved. The took City from an afterthought in the Premier League to league champions and Champions League participants.
The issue that is hanging over this entire plan is that no single entity can own two clubs that are participating in UEFA competition. UEFA article 3 covers this and says the following: No club participating in a UEFA club competition may, either directly or indirectly, hold or deal in the securities or shares of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition; be a member of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition; be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition; or have any power whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club participating in a UEFA club competition.”
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The financial rewards of playing in the Champions League are much too large to ignore so what will the Qatari billionaires do? Will they relinquish ownership of PSG or sell it to the highest bidder? The answer to that question will have to be answered by simple finances. Is it more profitable to be the big fish in the small pond of Ligue 1, or to be yet another big fish in the very large pond that is the Premier League. Undoubtedly the Premier League is the more popular of the two leagues but there are no guarantees of success in England.
Even with the money poured in to Manchester City they have not been able to win the league every year the way PSG has. There are also the pitfalls of potentially breaching UEFA FFP rules and not being able to maintain that success. The questions that surround a potential deal are endless and they do not look to be answered any time soon. Qatar seems to be content at this point with owning PSG and sponsoring big time clubs such as Barcelona.
Perhaps they will be happy to simply sponsor Tottenham as well but Spurs do not have a fraction of the global appeal of Barcelona. If they do indeed take over Tottenham then Chelsea FC will have to deal with yet another monster club in the Premier League. Perhaps with the billions of pounds backing Spurs they can also finish above Arsenal for once.
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