Al-Khelaifi reveals agreement with Perez and names PSG trio in Ballon d’Or hopes

Nasser Al-Khelaifi says he reached an agreement with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez during a 30-minute conversation, while backing three Paris Saint-Germain players to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.

The president of the European Club Association and Paris Saint-Germain spoke at a news conference on Tuesday after the organisation’s general assembly. He again defended Perez, saying the Real Madrid president and his club deserved greater respect for their contribution to football.

“Florentino and Real Madrid deserve more respect,” Al-Khelaifi said, according to Spanish newspaper Marca. “He has done everything for football, and I do not know how many Champions Leagues they have won in recent years.”

He added: “During the half an hour we spoke, we reached an agreement.”

Al-Khelaifi did not reveal what the agreement involved.

No interest in FIFA presidency

Al-Khelaifi also addressed speculation surrounding FIFA and rejected the idea that he was considering succeeding Gianni Infantino as president of world football’s governing body.

“I have absolutely no interest in FIFA; it is not my goal,” he said. “I am enjoying what I am doing. I am thinking about continuing to grow with the European Club Association, as you saw today.”

He also called for a positive approach to the issues facing football.

“I want to be positive,” Al-Khelaifi said. “It is sad, as I said, what we are seeing, but we need to be positive in order to change things.”

Al-Khelaifi’s Ballon d’Or picks

Asked about the Ballon d’Or race, Al-Khelaifi avoided setting himself against other clubs but made clear that he would like one of his Paris Saint-Germain players to receive the award for the world’s best player this year.

“Do not get me into trouble with the other clubs,” he said. “Obviously, I want one of the three players from my team to win it: Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia or Fabian Ruiz, who also deserves it.”

Al-Khelaifi also acknowledged his relationship with former Paris Saint-Germain player Kylian Mbappe, who now plays for Real Madrid.

“You know that I know Kylian Mbappe well, and that he is one of the best players in the world,” he said.