Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, made some strong statements during the celebrations for the 2025-2026 Champions League. In particular, he declared, “Thank you Paris, thank you France. PSG is the club of all of France, not just Paris.” This statement sparked outrage from Daniel Riolo, a journalist for RMC Sport, who is clearly still very angry with the Parisian executive. It was on RMC Sport that he delivered his diatribe.
Riolo said, “He’s the guy who wants to establish hegemony, crush the others, who doesn’t want any other club to exist.”
“I don’t understand the sentence, and yet, I do, because it’s everything he is and everything I’ve been describing for months. He’s the guy who wants to establish hegemony, crush everyone else, who doesn’t want any other club to exist. He doesn’t defend Ligue 1, since he doesn’t want Ligue 1 to exist. He wants to conquer all the markets, to crush the French football market.
Riolo: “He doesn’t have to try and impose his identity on all of us.”
Everyone knows I’ve supported this club since I was a kid, but I’ve never wanted others to like us. That’s not the point when you’re in Ligue 1. It’s us, it’s our club, it’s our life. What is this mix, this mentality? How can anyone say something like that? Everyone has their own life, their own identity. He doesn’t have to try and impose his identity on all of us.
Riolo “He doesn’t give a damn about Ligue 1.”
A bit naively, I recently said that we needed to unite in the negotiations at the League, at the board level. But in fact, it’s impossible; he doesn’t want everyone to agree. He doesn’t care about Ligue 1. He has his international business, it’s booming, jersey sales are exploding, markets are conquered. He doesn’t care about Ligue 1. But there are other people living in France who have their own club, their own identity, and who couldn’t care less about PSG. That’s how it is, that’s life.
Yes, right now, there’s a kind of current of opinion with him, but there are other people living in France. Everything that’s happening in the world of Ligue 1 can be explained in that sentence. All the clubs grew up in football culture, and then this other guy comes along and tries to sell us a load of rubbish. “All stand behind us.” But we don’t want your soup.”
Was the atmosphere surrounding PSG too positive? Couldn’t Riolo stomach so much joy and praise for a club he has so often criticized, particularly President Al-Khelaïfi and coach Luis Enrique (the infamous “Geo finds everything”)? Perhaps we’re missing something. In any case, it’s hard to understand how the Parisian executive’s words could provoke such anger.
While Nasser Al-Khelaïfi seeks to unite, whether around PSG or French football in general, Riolo prefers to divide. A sad habit, often accompanied by harsh criticism of players, coaches, or executives. It makes you think he enjoys stirring up conflict. This feeling is reinforced here, with his strong remarks against the PSG president at a time when everyone is praising him.
It was certainly not a question of imposing PSG’s identity on all of France; the president was simply emphasizing that his club also fights for French football and helps to promote it on the international stage. Which is quite fair. It’s a shame not to try to move in that direction, but rather to criticize.
