A few months ago, QSI (Qatar Sports Investments), owner of Paris Saint-Germain, acquired KAS Eupen in the Belgian second division. This Thursday, Luis Campos and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, sporting advisor and president of PSG (via QSI), visited the Belgian club and delivered some important messages. These remarks were reported by L’Equipe.
Al-Khelaïfi: “We are behind this project, behind this club, to take you to another level.”
“We want to be promoted to the First Division, to create a team that can play well. You have to work hard to achieve this, give 100% in training with the coach and the staff. You have to be a team, a family, and believe in yourselves; you will succeed. Every match is important. You have to be positive, have fun, and enjoy yourselves. We are behind this project, behind this club, to take you to another level. You are ambassadors for the club, but also for QSI now, with great ambitions.”
Luis Campos: “You are now an important part of the QSI project”
“I know the players and this team well, and you are now an important part of the QSI project. We are ambitious, and you must be focused on that ambition. Together, we are stronger; that’s the most important message for me, in both good times and bad. It’s a question of mentality. You have to follow your coach and fight to win matches. I repeat, you are important to this project.”
These are strong and interesting words. QSI doesn’t see KAS Eupen simply as a kind of “reserve” for PSG or other clubs. Even if we suspect there’s the idea of seeing certain talents directed towards Paris (as we see with RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig), there’s a real project to allow the club to grow and play a more important role, at least in Belgium.
It remains to be seen exactly how this will unfold. We shouldn’t rush things. Luis Campos is a builder; we can trust him. We’ll then need to be mindful of the connection with PSG. We’ve seen the potential pitfalls with Chelsea and Strasbourg in recent months. But successful management can certainly benefit both clubs. And let’s not forget that the network can expand. QSI also has a presence in Braga (Portugal), even if it doesn’t hold a majority stake there.
