Sun Jan 05 17:30:00 UTC 2025: **PSG to Face Monaco in Qatar for French Champions Trophy**
Doha, Qatar – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will face AS Monaco in the French Champions Trophy in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday. The match, traditionally the curtain-raiser to the French football season, highlights Qatar’s growing influence on French football.
Originally scheduled for Beijing to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China, the game was cancelled by Chinese authorities, mirroring a similar cancellation in Thailand the previous year. Qatar subsequently stepped in to host the event, offering a deal attractive to the financially strained Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which recently accepted a reduced offer for domestic television rights.
The match will be held at Stadium 974, a venue used during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and is sponsored by the Qatar tourism authority. Qatar’s influence extends beyond this event; their ownership of PSG since 2011 has transformed the club into a dominant force in French football. PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi also sits on the LFP board and chairs beIN Media Group, a Ligue 1 broadcaster.
PSG, winners of both Ligue 1 and the French Cup last season, will face Monaco, the Ligue 1 runners-up. Despite a recent 4-2 victory over Monaco in Ligue 1, PSG coach Luis Enrique acknowledges the unique circumstances. The club even offered fans a travel package including flights, accommodation, and match tickets for €100 to encourage attendance, though the club’s hardcore supporters declined. A win for PSG would mark their 11th Champions Trophy victory in 12 years.
First Piper 