QSI, the PSG owner, seizes a Belgian club. Prepare for new strategic investments and potential player pathways as this football empire expands.
The principal shareholder of Paris Saint-Germain since 2011, Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), has since invested in the Portuguese club Braga and announced this Tuesday the ongoing acquisition of KAS Eupen, a Belgian club playing in the second division, and which had belonged since 2012 to the Aspire Zone Foundation, based in Qatar.
In the works for nearly eight years, the acquisition of KAS Eupen by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) has never been closer. In a statement published this Tuesday, the majority shareholder of PSG since 2011 announced the upcoming acquisition of KAS Eupen, a historic Belgian football club currently playing in the Challenger Pro League, the local second division.
"QSI has signed a memorandum of understanding confirming the complete and imminent acquisition – subject to usual regulatory approvals – and the immediate assumption of the sporting operations of KAS Eupen. Under the terms of this memorandum of understanding, QSI will rapidly take full operational control of the club, including all associated sporting, commercial, and operational assets," can be read in the statement.
It had been said for several years that QSI was looking to invest in other football clubs after having purchased PSG in its entirety in 2011 and then taking a stake in the Portuguese club Braga in 2022, to the tune of 29.6%. It is therefore in the Belgian second division that QSI has decided to continue its investments in football, within a club already under Qatari ownership since 2012, via the Aspire Zone Foundation. PSG has transferred or loaned several young players to this Belgian club in recent years (Bitumazala, Alloh, Innocent, and Gassama in the summer of 2022, notably,) and Claude Makelele was also its coach from 2017 to 2019.
In its statement, QSI emphasizes that "Belgium represents a very attractive football market, where strong competition between high-level teams fosters the emergence of talent across the country. KAS Eupen thus offers significant potential for sustainable long-term growth." QSI adds that among its priorities are "the development of the training center, the modernization of infrastructure, and enhanced community engagement."
Currently 7th in the Belgian second division, will KAS Eupen become the famous satellite club of PSG, as has been discussed for several years? "We are studying the solutions. It's not easy. We cannot rush," declared Luis Campos last November 24 during a roundtable, he who was promoted a few months ago to "Sporting Advisor" of QSI after initially being "Football Advisor" for PSG. The Portuguese will work on the development of KAS Eupen, and it will be interesting to see what the interactions with PSG will be in the coming months.
"Qatar Sports Investments is proud to become the manager of KAS Eupen and to contribute to the development of football in Belgium," reacted Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Qatar Sports Investments and of PSG. "Thanks to QSI's international expertise and passion for football, our goal is to build a modern and competitive sporting and commercial structure, a source of pride for KAS Eupen supporters and one that builds on the club's rich legacy. We warmly welcome this exceptional club and community into our family."
On its website, KAS Eupen also confirmed the news of its imminent acquisition by QSI. "After a long internal evaluation, Aspire has concluded that the initial project with the club has reached its natural conclusion. The foundations established in recent years are solid and the club is ready to begin a new chapter, in which it can fully focus on the future and the achievement of its sporting objectives," can be read. KAS Eupen also asks its supporters to "continue to support the club and our teams, and to give your support to Qatar Sports Investments as they develop the club at all levels."