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Lionel Messi (36) has now won the Ballon d’Or eight times. However, none of his eight individual titles were discussed as controversially as they were in 2021. For good reason.
At the time, the entire football world expected that Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski (36), who scored 54 goals in 2021, would win the Ballon d’Or. Contrary to all predictions, Messi, who won the Copa America and the Spanish Cup that season, secured his seventh Ballon d’Or. Because his former club PSG interfered in the world football elections?
Luxury travel and VIP cards
The newspaper “Le Monde” makes this strong accusation. According to their investigation, PSG’s former communications director Jean-Martial Ribes repeatedly offered gifts to former ‘France Football’ editor-in-chief Pascal Ferré – who is organizing the elections.
In concrete terms, this concerns luxury trips financed by PSG sponsor Qatar Airways, VIP tickets for league matches and tickets for Champions League matches with the participation of PSG. Ribes and Ferré first had contact in 2020 because PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi wanted to have an article from ‘France Football’ removed. Ribes also offered favors to Ferré, who gratefully accepted them.
Later, Al-Khelaifi is said to have demanded that Ferré ‘lobby’ in favor of Messi. In fact, the Argentinian soon appeared on the cover of the magazine.
The police are investigating Ribes
Ribes is now no longer PSG’s head of communications. In June 2022, he left the chic club of his own free will and entered the private sector. However, he cannot completely part ways with PSG, because criminal proceedings against him have been officially underway since December 2023 due to his bribery attempts.
In addition to Ferré, Ribes is also said to have bought political figures. It is unclear at this time what benefits he wanted to achieve for PSG. It is also unclear whether the Ballon d’Or election will now be reopened. Ribes’ lawyer says the winner will be chosen by 180 independent journalists from around the world. “There is no way that PSG, let alone my client, could have influenced these elections.” (par)
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Paris Saint-Germain
|
17
|
28
|
40
|
|
|
2
|
 OGC Nice
|
17
|
10
|
35
|
|
|
3
|
 AS Monaco
|
17
|
11
|
33
|
|
|
4
|
 Stade Brestois 29
|
17
|
10
|
31
|
|
|
5
|
 OSC Lille
|
17
|
7
|
28
|
|
|
6
|
 Olympic Marseille
|
17
|
7
|
27
|
|
|
7
|
 RC lens
|
17
|
4
|
26
|
|
|
8th
|
 Reims Stadium
|
17
|
-1
|
26
|
|
|
9
|
 RC Strasbourg Alsace
|
17
|
-4
|
23
|
|
|
10
|
 FC Stade Rennes
|
17
|
1
|
19
|
|
|
11
|
 Le Havre AC
|
17
|
-3
|
19
|
|
|
12
|
 Montpellier HSC
|
17
|
-2
|
18
|
|
|
13
|
 FC Nantes
|
17
|
-9
|
18
|
|
|
14
|
 FC Metz
|
17
|
-11
|
16
|
|
|
14
|
 Olympique Lyon
|
17
|
-11
|
16
|
|
|
16
|
 Toulouse FC
|
17
|
-8th
|
14
|
|
|
17
|
 FC Lorient
|
17
|
-14
|
12
|
|
|
18
|
 Clermont Foot
|
17
|
-15
|
11
|
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
