This was not a good weekend for oil and gas rich sheikhs shaking up football with their big spending ways. Paris St Germain now under control of the Qatari Investment Authority (QIA) lost their season opener at home against Lorient who scored through Julien Quercia. Today, Man City run by the Al Nahyans, rulers of Abu Dhabi lost their first chance at silverware to United.
PSG have become the biggest spenders in world football this season bringing in Javier Pastore from Palermo for €42m, a record signing in French football. Other notables include Jeremy Menez (Roma, €8m), Mohammed Sissoko (Juventus,€7m), Blaise Matuidi, (St Etienne,€10m), Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo, €2m), and Kevin Gameiro (Lorient, €11m) for a transfer bill of €80m ($113m).
The QIA also induced Leonardo to join his old club as director of football after Inter parted ways and there were glimpses of him looking very discomfited at this loss. 43,000 fans booing their team is not an encouraging spectacle.
Pastore was not seen in action and might also miss next weekend's match against Rennes too.
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