Al Khelaifi: 'Everyone wins' - PSG chief hails end of Super League saga as Real Madrid return to UEFA fold
PSG president and EFC chairman Al Khelaifi speaks exclusively to MARCA about the historic agreement ending the Super League dispute with Real Madrid.
After months of bitter dispute and legal battles, UEFA, the European Club Association and Real Madrid have finally buried the hatchet on the Super League saga in what’s being hailed as a watershed moment for European football.
Peace at last
The breakthrough came after two months of intense, behind-closed-doors negotiations that remained on a knife edge until the very last minute. Even yesterday, pessimism reigned about whether an agreement would be announced in Brussels. But after final tweaks to the wording, the historic peace deal was made public at 3pm.
Nasser Al Khelaifi, who has played a crucial mediating role as EFC president, was positively beaming when speaking exclusively to MARCA. The PSG president couldn’t hide his delight as fans stopped him for photos on his way to UEFA’s official dinner.
“I’m proud and very happy,” Al Khelaifi told MARCA, clearly chuffed with the outcome of his diplomatic efforts.
Praise for Florentino
In a surprising twist, Al Khelaifi had nothing but praise for Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, a man he’s previously been at loggerheads with:
“Florentino Pérez is a very elegant and intelligent man, a visionary. Anyone who thinks he ‘lost’ today is stupid and knows absolutely nothing about football.”
Al Khelaifi emphasized repeatedly that “everyone wins” in this agreement - UEFA, Madrid, the EFC, and most importantly, football itself. The war, he insisted, “wasn’t leading anywhere.”
Behind the scenes
The negotiations were proper touch-and-go, with Al Khelaifi revealing: “This morning we didn’t know if it would happen or not.”
He also highlighted the roles played by:
- Chelsea’s Behdad Eghbali, who was involved from the beginning
- Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who “showed great courage and leadership”
Looking forward
With Barcelona already returning to the EFC family, Al Khelaifi is now working on bringing Madrid fully back into the fold. He hinted at improvements coming as part of the agreement but kept those cards close to his chest.
After years of tension that threatened to tear European football apart, it seems the beautiful game’s powerbrokers have finally found their way back to the negotiating table - and football fans everywhere might just be the real winners.