At the end of this ECA General Assembly, the future of Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi emerged as a key issue.
It is said that this former tennis player from Qatar needed to be persuaded to take on the task of rebuilding the ECA and defending the Champions League.
But in the end, it will either be him or someone from Bayern Munich. Before Agnelli, they had managed the ECA for ten years. Now it’s someone else’s turn.
However, this might be one of the greatest "sliding door" moments in football, as Nasser Al-Khelaifi has made significant progress since then.
Back then, he didn’t look like a global football leader, as his time was divided into three parts:
Running beIN Sport, the Qatari sports and entertainment giant; leading the wealthy Paris Saint-Germain to win the Champions League (at that time, PSG needed more than one goal to satisfy everyone); and playing padel.
He seemed to dislike public speaking and wasn’t very fluent in English.
Now, he could become the next FIFA president. Apparently, he has told everyone who asked that he doesn’t want the job—Saudi Arabia might also not want a Qatari as president during its 2034 World Cup—but he does look like a suitable candidate now.
Today, the scale and importance of the ECA General Assembly are comparable to the FIFA Congress, giving him a platform. He will be an advocate for big clubs, which hold all the power.
