Football
Jonathan Johnson, PSG correspondent 5y

PSG appeal to CAS in UEFA's continued FFP investigation

Paris Saint-Germain have taken their Financial Fair Play (FFP) case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after UEFA decided to re-examine their finances after a lengthy and fruitless initial investigation.

UEFA effectively restarted its examination in July despite having cleared PSG from wrongdoing. The club raised around €50 million by selling players before the end of June at UEFA's request in order to avoid sanctions for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 financial period.

Speaking with Le JDD, PSG secretary general Victoriano Melero said the club remains unhappy with UEFA's handling of their FFP status and alluded to the involvement of CAS.

"We consider this decision unfounded in terms of both form and content," he said. "We want an end to this story."

After seeing AC Milan reinstated to European competition by CAS, PSG reportedly decided to turn to the organisation in their fight with UEFA. CAS will now analyse PSG's file -- a process that could take months and will impede UEFA's evaluation of PSG's controversial Qatar-based sponsorship contracts for a third time.

On top of ordering PSG to sell up to as much as €60m in assets in Javier Pastore, Yuri Berchiche, Odsonne Edouard and Jonathan Ikone before the end of June, UEFA reportedly instructed the club to not renew their contract with the Qatar Tourism Authority when it expires in 2019, making the sale of a big-name player probable.

"Like all other clubs, trading is an integral part of the model," he said. "[Further legal action] is not our approach, but if our club and employees are undermined, we have no other real alternative.

"There is too much subjectivity in this system. With real and much simpler rules, we would not have reached this point."

PSG's FFP issues were exacerbated on Friday when a series of documents released by Football Leaks suggested that they engaged in fraud to avoid FFP sanctions and exclusion from European competition -- claims PSG denied.

Blanc accused UEFA's FFP plan of being "gradually altered" to preserve a "well-organised cartel of clubs."

"No, we are not afraid of being excluded from the Champions League after the Mediapart revelations," he told Canal+. "We are serene. We have always been transparent."

Oryx Qatar Sports Investments, PSG's owners, are alleged to have injected €1.8 billion into the club since their 2011 takeover with help from disgraced former UEFA president Michel Platini, as well as FIFA president and ex-UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino.

Former France president Nicolas Sarkozy was also reportedly involved, telling the now-Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in a 2010 meeting that Platini would be instructed to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup if PSG were bought and a sports television channel, beIN SPORTS, launched in France.

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