The Champions League final on Saturday will be an especially busy one for Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, perhaps the most multi-tasked official in world soccer.

As president of Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain since 2011, Al-Khelaïfi’s main goal is seeing his team become champion of Europe for the first time against Inter Milan in Munich.

As chairman of the influential European Club Association, he leads 700 member teams increasingly taking over from UEFA in shaping sporting and commercial decisions for the Champions League. It also puts him on UEFA’s strategy-setting executive committee.

As chairman of Qatari broadcaster beIN Media Group, Al-Khelaïfi controls exclusive Champions League rights to air the final in the Middle East, North Africa and much of South-East Asia.

“Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is considered a visionary leader in the media industry,” beIN says on its website, adding that in 2016 he “also acquired the Hollywood film studio Miramax.”

He also is a minister in Qatar’s government, a director of its sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and chairman of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) that owns PSG.

QSI and Al-Khelaïfi — a former tennis professional — also are key in the fast-emerging racket sport padel which has ambitions to be an Olympic sport, maybe in time for the 2036 Summer Games that Qatar and its tennis-loving Emir want to host.

Among the invited VIP guests in Munich is Thomas Bach, the outgoing though still influential president of the International Olympic Committee.

Saturday can be a peak of Al-Khelaïfi’s 14-year career in international soccer that has fueled talk — despite ongoing investigations of his sports career by French authorities — he could be a future FIFA president.

Al-Khelaïfi declined comment to The Associated Press after a recent UEFA meeting in Bilbao, Spain.

In a statement, PSG said he “doesn’t want to be a distraction and wants humble focus for the team.”

From tennis to soccer

Now aged 51, Al-Khelaïfi was a tennis pro who played for Qatar in the Davis Cup, bringing him into contact with the future emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Al-Khelaïfi’s ATP biography shows his ranking peaked at No. 995 and he played two matches on tour. The first in 1996 was against world No. 2 Thomas Muster in Austria. Brief footage shows a good-natured exchange of shots with Muster in a 6-0, 6-1 mismatch.

Al-Khelaïfi’s career ended in 2003 and he joined the start-up Al Jazeera Sport as “director of rights acquisitions,” according to beIN.

Qatar stunned soccer in 2010, when FIFA awarded it 2022 World Cup hosting rights, and PSG was bought within months.

Rising in soccer

The rise of ambitious clubs fueled by Middle East sovereign cash — Qatar and PSG, Abu Dhabi and Manchester City — concerned the storied elite. The ECA helped UEFA introduce financial control rules for European competitions that saw both clubs deducted 20 million euros ($22.7 million) of Champions League prize money in 2014.

Still, while Man City did not get on the ECA board, Al-Khelaïfi was elected in 2016. Three years later he got one of two seats reserved for clubs on the UEFA executive committee (ExCo) — despite in-house cautioning about conflicts of interest.

Conflicted interests?

On election day in 2019 in Rome, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was asked about potential conflicts of interest around Al-Khelaïfi. BeIN was, and still is, among UEFA’s main clients also owning extensive European Championship rights.

Ceferin’s narrowly focused answer was that ExCo members are not involved in approving commercial deals.

Any conflict worked in UEFA’s favor in 2021 when ECA leaders launched the Super League project designed to rival and replace the Champions League, which beIN broadcasts.

PSG’s refusal to join rebel clubs from Spain, Italy and England helped to undermine the breakaway that ultimately failed amid a fan backlash and British government threats of legislation.

In the fallout, Al-Khelaïfi took over leading the ECA and quickly repaired relations with UEFA and Ceferin.

One year later, UEFA opened a disciplinary case into claims the PSG president confronted the match referee after losing in the Champions League at Real Madrid.

When UEFA published the verdict Al-Khelaïfi was no longer cited and blame was put on sporting director Leonardo, who PSG had fired weeks earlier.

Challenges in France

Al-Khelaïfi is not always popular in France where PSG has won 11 of 14 league titles during Qatari ownership. His powerful role has attracted criticism, particularly from John Textor, the American owner at Lyon, including that PSG’s funding model involving Qatari money allegedly breaks European Union laws.

The pair have argued about poor management of the league’s TV rights. In leaked footage from a 2024 meeting of Ligue 1 club owners, Al-Khelaïfi called Textor a cowboy. Textor described his rival as a bully with a conflict of interest given his role at beIN.

Al-Khelaïfi’s legal challenges in France include some not related to PSG. The recent preliminary charges about possible alleged corruption relate to his links to a French businessman.

Proceedings were dropped in relation to Qatari bids to host track and field’s world championships, which Doha staged in 2019.

In Switzerland, Al-Khelaïfi stood trial twice and was acquitted both times on charges of inciting a top FIFA official to commit aggravated criminal mismanagement from 2013-15.

His lawyers said after the second acquittal in 2022 that “years of baseless allegations, fictitious charges and constant smears have been proven to be completely and wholly unsubstantiated — twice.”

___

AP Sports Writer Tales Azzoni contributed from Bilbao, Spain

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) — Dozens of officials and residents gathered outside Terre Haute City Hall on Thursday morning to witness the unveiling of the city’s new logo and brand. The design, crafted with Terre Haute’s architectural and cultural history in mind, marks a significant step in updating the city’s visual identity.

Mayor Brandon Sakbun emphasized the importance of differentiating the new logo from the city seal, which will continue to be used for formal and legal purposes. The logo will be featured on communications, signage, and public-facing materials, such as street signs and city cars.

“This is just the beginning of this process,” Sakbun said. “Of course, we are going to update the street signs and some of the cars. But the main project is that we are updating the website. So digital marketing and our digital presence is something that a lot of Hoosiers and people from Illinois and Kentucky see when they visit Terre Haute. So we wanted to offer that fresh start.”

The new logo incorporates blues and yellows, consistent with the Terre Haute flag and other city initiatives. It prominently features the steeple of the Vigo County Courthouse, a landmark of the city, and includes a basketball silhouette to highlight the impact of sports in Terre Haute. The logo’s tagline, “Meet us at the crossroads,” represents the city’s historic highway intersections.

SIOUX FALLS — Northeastern South Dakota athletes won five events on the opening day of the 2025 South Dakota State High School Track and Field Championships.

Competition in the three-class, three-day meet opened on Thursday, May 29 and continues through Saturday, May 31.

Area event winners included:

• Taryn Hermansen, Aberdeen Central — Class AA girls’ shot put (45 feet, 6.5 inches).
• Jalyssa Hutson, Ipswich — Class B girls’ pole vault (11 feet).
• Dustin Wurtz, Leola — Class B boys’ discus (163-11).
• Deubrook Area — Class B girls’ 3,200-meter relay (9:47.61). Runners included Makenna Ekern, Neely Gustad, Nora Olsen and Kylee Johnson.
• Sioux Valley — Class A boys’ 3,200 relay (8:02:49). Runners included Brock Christopherson, Carson Wosje, Mitchell Guthmiller and Brady Hiltunen.

Other area place winners, by division, included:

Class AA Girls

Malia Kranz of Watertown placed third in the shot put (40-4) and Jaidyn Forsyth of Aberdeen Central added a fifth-place finish in the pole vault (11-0).

Class AA Boys

There were area place winners in Class AA boys’ events on Thursday.

Class A Girls

Emma Gorvin of Sioux Valley placed fifth (5-1) and Sarah Zubke of Webster Area tied for seventh (4-11) in the high jump.

Groton Area placed fourth in the 3,200-meter relay (9:48.65) with runnres Ryelle Gilbert, Faith and Taryn Traphagen and Kella Tracy.

Clark-Willow Lake took fifth (4:15.01) and Groton Area eighth (4:17.12) in the medley relay. Clark-Willow Lake runners included Madison Brenden, Johanna Vandersnick, Cadence Bochek and Kamryn Nesheim. MaKenna Krause, Taryn Traphagen, Laila Roberts and Kella Tracy ran for Groton Area.

Class A Boys

Lucas Johnson of Great Plains Lutheran placed fourth (6-4) in the high jump. Taiton Boersma of Elkton-Lake Benton (51-11.75) took third and Michael Severson of Clark-Willow Lake (48-10.75) seventh in shot put. Samuel Rick of Milbank (second, 14-0), Gabe Sather of Deuel (third, 13-3), Eliot Erickson of Elkton-Lake Benton (fifth, 12-3) and Jeron McCreay of Webster Area (eighth, 12-3) each placed in the pole vault.

Groton Area took fourth (3:38.49) in the medley relay with Brevin Fliehs, Lincoln Krause, Keegen Tracy and Blake Pauli. Milbank was fifth (3:38.9) with runners Garrett Weber, Harley Zemlicka, Emmett Hanson and Bryan Meyer and Sioux Valley eighth (3:40.84) with runners Jakob Guthmiller, Donovan Rose, Christopherson and Hiltunen.

Class B Girls

Other area place winners in the pole vault included Marley Guthmiller of Ipswich (second, 10-0), Courtney Leidholt of Warner (third, 10-0), Peyton Schnabel of North Central (tied for fourth, 9-3), Avery bruns of Warner (sixth, 9-3) and Carleigh Dosch of North Central (seventh, 8-9). Chloe Raw of Arlington took second (18-0) and Kaydee Mackner of Warner seventh (16-5) in the long jump. Hadlee Holt of Iroquois-Lake Preston (second, 140-1), Audi Currier of De Smet (fourth, 118-10) and Tristan Geditz of Ipswich (eighth, 112-6) each placed in the discus.

Warner was fourth (10:09.35), Potter County fifth (10:13.21), Ipswich (10:15.82) and Faulkton Area eighth (10:16.35) in the 3,200 relay. Haivyn Schuchardt, Katelyn Wirth, Reese Holm and Addison Heinrich ran for Warner; Dannika Kaup, Paige and Jadyn Ahlemeier and Emma Schlachter for Potter County; Madisyn Gellhaus, Gracyn Kadlec, Jennay Gisi and Isabella Henderson for Ipswich; and Reese Hadrick, Rhyann Roseland, Claire Cotton and Austina Sorensen for Faulkton Area.

Northwestern finished sixth (4:24.9), Deubrook Area seventh (4:27.44) and Herreid-Selby Area eighth (4:27.87) in the medley. Rachel Melius, Brenna Halverson, Elexis Kramp and Ella Boekelheide ran for Northwestern; Kyra Bowne, Matti Ramlo, Johnson and Olsen for Deubrook Area; and Stephanie Allbee, Brooklyn Helm, Breanna Jochim and Katie Allbee for HSA.

Class B Boys

Landon Larson of Potter County placed third in the long jump (21-3.75) and Sam Leen of Deubrook Area seventh in the discus (136-3).

Frederick Area placed third in thre 3,200 relay (8:35.14) with runners Noah Kippley, Howard Sumption, Titus Kippley and Gavin Nickelson. Sunshine Bible Academy took fifth (8:37.17) with runners Owan Watson, Jensen Wipf, Toby Mickelson and Jimmy Burma. Deubrook Area followed in sixth (8:37.31) with runners Charlie Olsen, Josh Mitchell, Brody Gladis and Josh Moberg.

Wilmot’s boys recorded a second-place finish in the medley relay (3:38.75) with runners Keitrick Genia, Jaxen Dockter, Kolby Haubris and Ethan Schwenn.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

PRESS RELEASE: VALE SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Vale High School Track and Field team expects victory.

Case in point: The Viking track and field team will send over 20 athletes – including a host of district champions – to the 2025 OSAA 3A Track and Field State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on May 29 and 30.

The Viking tracksters will make the journey to Eugene after a virtuoso performance at the district meet in Milton-Freewater last week.

“We did well (at district). We expected to do exactly what we did and we knew what our potential was,” said Paul Bentz, Vale High School Track coach.

The Vale girls track team – for the second year in a row – clinched the team title at the district meet while the boys team finished second. Burns claimed top honors in boys team standings at district.

Bentz said the performance of his team was impressive, especially because of the unique attributes of track competition.

“It is a very mentally tough sport. Especially district because you have to do it that day (of district) or it doesn’t matter,” he said.

The Vikings will send 10 girls and 11 boys to the state meet.

On the girls’ side, juniors Peyton Bates, Karlee Crane, Elli Jacobs, Claire Johnson, Addie Saunders and Kesley Stepleton qualified for the state meet. Seniors Brynlee Hartley and Bella Johnson along with sophomore Kaylynn Brandon and freshman Anna Jacobs also qualified for state competition. Hartley won top honors at district in the pole vault event and will compete in that event at state. Johnson clinched the district title in the 300 hurdles and 100 hurdles events.

Bates claimed the district title in the javelin event and will compete in that category at state. Brandon will be part of the Lady Viks’ 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams and will compete in triple jump at state. Brandon claimed the district crown in the triple jump event.

Crane will compete in high jump event. Anna Jacobs will compete as part of Vale’s 4×400 relay team at state while Elli Jacobs will participate in the 4×400, 4×100 relay team events and run in the 400- and 200-meter races.

Claire Johnson will go to Eugene to race as part of the 4×100 relay team and compete in the 100- and 200-meter races. Bentz said Claire Johnson broke her own school record and the district record at Milton-Freewater in the 100-meter race. Johnson captured district titles in the 100- and 200-meter races.

Saunders is set to participate in the 3,000 and 1,500 races while Stepleton will journey to Eugene as an alternate. Saunders was the district champion in the 1,500- and 3,000-meter races.

For the boys, junior Trent Braese will travel to the west side of Oregon as an alternate while senior Skyler Cade will compete as part of the Vikings 4×400 relay team. Rye Cummings, sophomore, will also go to Eugene as an alternate.

Senior Jake DeVos will compete as a member of the 4×100 relay team, run in the 100-meter dash and do the shot put at state. DeVos claimed the district title in the shot put and 100-meter race events. Sophomore Duncan Fritz will run in the 3,000- and 800-meter races at state. Senior Brady Jacobs will compete at state as part of the Vikings 4×400 relay team while freshman Bannock Lamb will participate in the 4×400 and the 4×100 meter relay races. Junior Brody McElroy will travel to state as an alternate in the 4×400 relay team while sophomore Collin Mulvany will run with the Vale 4×400 and 4×100 relay teams.

Senior Kase Schaffeld is set to throw the shot put at state, run in the 100-meter race and compete as part of the 4×100 relay team and compete in the discus event. Schaffeld claimed the district title in the discus event.

Freshman Brandon Stewart will compete in the pole vault event at state.

Bentz said a winning attitude honed in the crucible of tough competition paid big dividends for his team this year.

“We traveled and went to some pretty big meets to get some exposure. That’s probably the biggest difference. We went out to get some extreme competition,” he said.

He said his track athletes arrive for the sport in the spring already primed for success.

“They come in and know how to win,” said Bentz.

Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: