PSG was investigated for cheating to help Messi win the Golden Ball

An ongoing legal investigation indicates that there was an organized campaign to help Lionel Messi win the 2021 Golden Ball.

According to information posted by Mediapart and Le Monde on Saturday, January 6, a legal investigation is taking place targeting 6 figures at Paris Saint-Germain on the grounds that this club is involved in the BTC campaign. to help Lionel Messi win the 2021 Golden Ball.

Messi's 2021 Golden Ball victory was allegedly related to PSG's cheating behavior

The source cited evidence from the Inspector General of the French National Police (IGPN) showing that PSG has a close relationship with Pascal Ferré, former editor-in-chief of France Football - the organizer of the Golden Ball award.

The journalist is said to have received many benefits in the form of 'gifts' from the Paris Club, including Vip tickets to the match at Parc des Princes and round-trip business class flights on Qatar Airways courtesy of the Qatari government. pay. The estimated number is up to 8,986 Euro in March 2021 alone.

According to Mediapart, these gifts were sent to Ferré by PSG as part of lobbying efforts to help Lionel Messi win the 2021 Golden Ball as a player of the Paris club.

PSG also organized a private meal for Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and Pascal Ferré. A few weeks before the vote, this journalist sent PSG a preview of France Football, where Messi appeared on the front page to create "media resonance" for the former Barcelona player in the race.

The relationship between Pascal Ferré and PSG

Information about the 2021 Golden Ball campaign for Messi comes from investigations into various cases against PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi. In particular, the investigation agency targets the activities of Jean-Martial Ribes, former communications director of PSG (2017-2022), who is being prosecuted in December 2023 for corruption and market manipulation.

Former editor-in-chief of France Football, Pascal Ferre has a close relationship with PSG leaders

Here, IGPN discovered that Ribes tends to establish relationships with a number of influential people in the media, including Pascal Ferré. Since then PSG has been favored by the French media.

In July 2019, Ferré reportedly agreed to delete a message on the France Football website regarding the allegations against Nasser Al-Khelaïfi.

When Lionel Messi arrived at PSG in September 2021, L'Equipe newspaper had a front-page commentary saying he did not appreciate the Argentine player's salary. Pascal Ferré was then said to have "influenced" Jérôme Cazadieu, then the editorial director of L'Equipe, to remove the article.

Notably, after Jean-Martial Ribes left PSG in 2022, Pascal Ferré became the director of press and media relations for the Paris team.