The broadcaster beIN Sports requested that every player in Ligue 1 next season wear a Visit Qatar badge on their shirt for games shown live, as part of negotiations for its new TV deal, according to senior figures at French clubs.
Multiple sources claim the request was made on behalf of the Qatari-owned company by its chairman, Nasser al-Khelaifi, who is also the president of Paris Saint-Germain, during a meeting between the presidents of several Ligue 1 clubs this week. A source close to the discussions at beIN Sports and PSG strenuously denied any such request was made. One owner, who did not want to be named, described it as “an attempt to build a captive league”. This month, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced it had reached an agreement for Dazn to show the vast majority of live Ligue 1 matches until 2029, with beIN Sports paying €100m a season for one primetime match a week.
