Roma‘s strong relationship with Paris Saint-Germain was behind the Giallorossi’s decision to pull out of a summer friendly with Barcelona, according to reports in Italy.
On Tuesday, Roma announced they would no longer compete against Barca in the Catalan giants’ annual Trofeo Gamper – much to the anger of the LaLiga side, with reports they were even considering legal action.
But a day later, Il Corriere dello Sport report Roma president Dan Friedkin’s strong relationship with PSG counterpart Nasser Al-Khelaifi was behind the decision.
Following the collapse of the proposed Super League, with only three clubs – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – still remaining, Al-Khelaifi’s relationship with UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin grew stronger, thanks in part to PSG’s decision to reject the idea, while Friedkin has also become an ally, the report adds.
According to the report, Al-Khelaifi and Friedkin have several communal business interests outside of football, such as luxury hotels and the Giallorossi were advised not to face a team which is still part of the Super League in a pre-season friendly.
In September, Al-Khelaifi, who took over the European Club Association’s presidency following the collapse of the Super League in which its members left, publicly thanked Friedkin for joining.