PARIS, FRANCE – DECEMBER 1: Lionel Messi of PSG holding his 7th Ballon dOr for worlds best player in 2021 is honored before the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and OGC Nice (OGCN) at Parc des Princes stadium on December 1, 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo by John Berry/Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly being investigated after for trying to influence 2021 Ballon d’Or outcome in favour of Lionel Messi
That was the same year that Messi had ended his relationship with Barcelona to join the French giants on a free transfer.
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According to Le Monde, PSG had courted then-France Football editor Pascal Ferre with the hope of getting a favour in return.
The Argentine forward ended up winning his seventh Ballon d’Or title ahead of striker Robert Lewandowski, who had been a favourite for the award after it was cancelled the previous year.
Le Monde also reported that Ferre received from gifts from PSG, which included match tickets and a business class flight from PSG in 2020 and 2021 when he was still working for France Football.
Ferre is now also an employee of the Paris outfit, where he has been employed as the club’s communications director.
The report also adds that PSG’s former director of communications Jean-Martial Ribes was the primiary focus in the investigation, with a report from the police revealing he was in charge handing out tickets.
“Ribes requested to obtain tickets for PSG football matches by journalists, politicians, elected officials, members of ministerial cabinets or the presidency, artists,” a report from the General Inspectorate of the National Police stated, as per Goal.
