Reports originating from France have surfaced, alleging a fervent effort by Paris Saint-Germain to sway the prestigious 2021 Ballon d’Or in favor of Lionel Messi. The reports specifically claim that the Parisian club sought to bolster their ties with “France Football” in a bid to secure the coveted award for the Argentine superstar.
According to these accounts, denials notwithstanding, Parisians allegedly engaged Pascal Ferret, the president of the magazine, as a communications consultant for a brief period. This move was purportedly orchestrated to establish a strategic “lobby” aimed at championing the 36-year-old Messi’s candidacy for the Ballon d’Or.
However, Ferret has adamantly refuted any insinuation that there was a deliberate campaign to prioritize Messi over other worthy contenders for the prestigious accolade.
These developments have surfaced against the backdrop of a previous scandal involving potential tax evasion linked to Neymar’s high-profile transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. French publications have shed light on purported involvement from the French Minister of Foreign Affairs in this controversy, which remains a significant point of contention.
It’s worth recalling that Neymar’s transfer in 2017 was hailed as a monumental deal in football history, setting a record with a staggering 222 million euros involved in the transaction. This disclosure adds another layer to the complexities surrounding high-stakes transfers and the potential entanglement of influential figures in the football realm.
