France's Qatar connection: Macron and Mbappé hand in hand - how politics courts the Gulf

Created: 06/17/2022, 09:47 am

By: Andreas Schmid

Influential: French President Emmanuel Macron with national player Kylian Mbappé.

© Anna Gowthorpe/imago (montage)

Sarkozy, Hollande, Macron: French (ex-)presidents and Qatar lovers at the same time.

In the Élysée Palace, the connections to the World Cup host are close.

Paris - Last year Emmanuel Macron took part in a YouTube show.

The French President and two popular Youtubers shared alternating anecdotes.

The other person had to decide whether they are real or made up.

Macron started talking about French footballer Kylian Mbappé.

"I'm the one who takes care of his career.

And so he will leave Paris Saint-Germain and join Olympique Marseille.” Macron's favorite club.

That was of course nonsense, which was exposed as such.

In retrospect, Macron's statements are still interesting.

The recently re-elected president is not Mbappé's manager.

But he does have a say.

This was recently made clear with Mbappé's much-noticed contract extension.

A signature that can be described as political - and once again revealed the close ties from Paris to Doha.

World Cup in Qatar 2022: Mbappé extends PSG thanks to Macron's "good advice"

After the current season, Mbappé actually wanted to leave Paris for Real Madrid.

Thanks to a multimillion deal, the superstar stayed on board.

The signature alone is said to have cost more than 300 million euros in earnest money.

In addition, there is an annual salary of 50 to 100 million euros and a say in all important decisions of the club.

As Mbappé said in an interview with several media outlets, he also took advice from President Macron on his future.

The 2018 world champion appreciates his “good advice”. “He is one of several people I talk to about football,” said Mbappé about Macron.

The President confirmed the conversation: "I advised him to stay in France."

Kylian Mbappe's (r) contract with PSG has been extended at significantly higher salaries.

Qatari businessman Nasser Al-Khelaifi is on the left of the offensive man.

PSG President and the most powerful man in football business.

© Michel Spingler/dpa

France and Qatar: The Mbappé extension is highly political

Kylian Mbappé is the face of the France national team.

A difference player whose election to world footballer is only a matter of time.

Of course, one likes to see someone like that playing football in France.

Also in the Élysée Palace.

And in Doha, 5000 kilometers from Paris, the headquarters of Paris Saint-Germain's investor group Qatar Sports Investments.

Mbappé's market value is estimated at 160 million euros.

For Qatar, however, the exceptional kicker has hardly any measurable value.

In the World Cup year 2022 it would have been embarrassing for the organizer if their sporting figurehead had left the club, which was pumped full of Qatari money.

In addition, the entire PSG project would then have been called into question.

Of course, the fact that the club missed out on winning the Champions League this time could not be concealed as well.

And the chances of a future coup are dwindling.

France and Qatar: String puller Sarkozy paving the way for close ties

Qatar has been investing in Paris-Saint Germain since 2011.

The commitment is often justified with the potential appeal of the metropolitan club - but it is also due to Qatar's close ties to French politics.

The desert emirate has maintained this for years.

One of Macron's predecessors is pulling the strings: Nicolas Sarkozy.

His first guest of state as French President was the Emir of Qatar.

That was in 2007, when little Qatar didn't get much attention.

That changed again in 2010 with the award of the World Cup, in which France is said to have played a decisive role.

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On November 23, 2010, shortly before Fifa's decision, there was an ominous meeting in the Élysée Palace, about the content of which Sarkozy has remained silent to this day.

Also present: Sarkozy, Qatar's Emir Hamad bin Chalifa Al Thani and the then Uefa President Michel Platini, who was entitled to vote for the World Cup award.

"What exactly was discussed at this meeting was never made public," explains author Mathias Liegmal to

from IPPEN.MEDIA.

"However, it should certainly not be a coincidence that Platini voted for Qatar as a venue just a few days later and that PSG was bought by the state inspector group Qatar Sports Investments in 2012."

PSG and WM: "Massive entanglement between French and Qatari capital"

Years later, Platini indicated, at least indirectly, that Sarkozy was very interested in a World Cup being awarded to Qatar.

In a TV documentary, the official said: "At the time, I could of course imagine that France would be happy if I voted for Qatar, but no one asked me to do that." But Sarkozy "made it clear to him".

Former Fifa President Sepp Blatter was a little more specific and said: "Qatar won due to the highest level of political intervention from the French side.

You know that, it's been proven.” Incidentally, according to the Fifa statutes, “any form of political influence” is prohibited.

Sebastian Bazin was also at the table.

He was the European representative of US investment firm Colony Capital, which before Qatar owned the majority of shares in PSG - and sold it to Qatar Sports Investments.

"The takeover was favored by the massive entanglement between French and Qatari capital," writes author Glenn Jäger in his book Critical to Qatar, Down

.

"It was only then that the case became a top priority in the Èlysée."

France and Qatar: How Sarkozy courted the emirate

Sarkozy, a private fan of PSG, was one of the first Western politicians to openly seek closeness with Qatar.

"He is clearly the pioneer of this ever closer cooperation," Liegmal sums up.

"Even during his time as interior minister, he had made initial connections to the Qatari emirate." In 2007 he became president.

A year later, he passed a law exempting Qatari investments in France from taxes.

However, this relationship is not a one-way street.

Because of his Qatar-friendly policy, Sarkozy was able to conclude some lucrative deals for large French corporations, which were maintained under his successor François Hollande and expanded during Emmanuel Macron's tenure.

France and Qatar: close political ties

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Qatar: These French companies will particularly benefit

A number of French companies are involved in Qatar.

For example, the energy companies Engie and Veolia, which are responsible for water treatment.

The construction group Vinci, which was allowed to build the first Qatar subway line.

Various five-star hotels such as the Hotel du Louvre in Paris or the Carlton in Cannes, where the Qatari sheikhs like to stay themselves.

The media group Lagardère, in which the Qatari sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Holding, has a stake.

The luxury company LVMH (including Louis Vitton), whose majority owner is France's richest man and Sarkozy's best man, Bernard Arnault.

Or the armaments company Dassault Aviation Group, which has been able to increase its sales by up to 70 percent annually through arms exports to Qatar.

Not an isolated case, as Liegmal describes.

“Qatar bought a total of 24 Dassault Rafale fighter jets in 2015.

After Macron visited the country in 2017, further Dassault deliveries were contracted, but the purchase of tanks from French manufacturer Nexter was also agreed.”

Mbappé extension: Macron's mission is "mainly about symbolism"

Back to Macron and his influence on the Mbappé extension.

Has politics interfered in the fortunes of a football club here?

Put in a good word with friends?

Liegmal told

that Macron's goal as French head of state was "of course to keep the currently most valuable player in the world in France." Goal achieved.

"It's all about symbolism." On the one hand, Paris has been confirmed as "currently the most attractive football location".

On the other hand, additional agreements also played a role.

Liegmal speaks of a presumed agreement that Mbappé will take part in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Actually a tournament for under 23 year olds.

But three older ones are allowed.

Mbappe, who is also scheduled to play an EM in the same summer, would be 25 years old at the tournament.

The fact that there are any discussions about participating in the Olympics "should be considered primarily in terms of the external impact," says Liegmal.

“The Olympic Games are held in Paris.

So of course Macron is meddling in the sport here and doing so primarily for political reasons.”

However, Macron is by no means acting as an isolated example.

"Before him, Jacques Chirac, for example, had also sought to be close to the French national team," says the author, whose book

will be published in September.

Liegmal also names other political actors such as Vladimir Putin, Silvio Berlusconi or Angela Merkel, who liked to be close to the DFB team.

"Especially in the recent past, it has become increasingly clear that modern football and politics are now extremely closely intertwined."

"So Macron is just playing this game as one of many." One of many French presidents and one of many political players in general.

“Of course, Macron always accepts playing Qatar as a side effect.

He already works closely with the emirate on an economic level.” He and France will probably continue to do so.