Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer said he has been “impressed” by Paris Saint-Germain’s reinvention.
“I have the utmost respect for what is being done in Paris. What Nasser al-Khelaïfi has achieved is a tremendous success,” the 71-year-old said in an interview with L’Équipe. For Hainer, the adoption of a new model – one less focused on amassing “superstars” and more on creating a genuine identity – has played a major part in establishing the French club at the pinnacle of European football.
“Paris have appointed Luis Enrique, a manager who puts his faith in young players and has built a team with which the fans can identify,” he continued. “Identity is key. PSG have reinvented themselves and are now among the elite of world football.”
PSG’s image has improved in Germany
Such praise alone reflects a resurgence of a certain degree of goodwill towards PSG, a far cry from the tarnished image usually associated with the French club across the Rhine.
A distrust that, incidentally, has never been specific to Paris, but more generally to clubs owned by investment funds or governments. For German supporters, such clubs symbolise a football dominated by money – a red line they do not yet seem ready to cross.
But never mind that, for whilst they may not be fully accepted, the Red and Blues are now respected by the majority of German observers. And this is largely due to what they demonstrate on the pitch, their favourite terrain. Because that is the only place where it seems difficult to criticise them today.
