“Paris FC will wipe PSG off the map”
The surprise statement was made by a Qatari member of the Paris Saint Germain soccer club, who fears Red Bull and Bernard Arnault's financial group's power as they launch the new Paris FC.
Starting at midnight on January 1, Red Bull will take its first steps in Paris in a bid to make Paris FC one of the most ambitious teams in French soccer. The undertaking, with the Arnault family owning LVMH, is gigantic, since the first objective is to gain direct promotion to Ligue 1, a competition it hasn't contested since 1979, before attempting to establish itself in French soccer's elite to create a serious rivalry with its big brother, Paris Saint-Germain.
One of the first contributions of the Red Bull-Arnault partnership is the appointment of Mario Gomez, emblematic striker of the German national team, as one of the visible faces of the project. Behind the scenes, as there has been no official announcement yet, the former Stuttgart and Bayern striker, among others, will be one of the key men in the early years of Paris FC.
The development will be monitored closely y Jurgen Klopp. Appointed director of soccer at Red Bull, the former Liverpool coach will even be present for the match between Paris FC and Amiens on January 11.
(MH with JcM/Source: Agence/Photo: DPA/MAXPPP /Julien Mattia / Le Pictorium)