France’s railway boss and sports minister have criticized Paris Saint-Germain after the club flew to Nantes, 380 kilometers away.
“Paris to Nantes with Qatar Airways,” PSG tweeted and showed a video of Kylian Mbappé and other PSG stars boarding a plane to travel to Nantes, some 380 kilometers away. The sports division of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund owns the club, and the state airline Qatar Airways is the main sponsor. Paris won Sunday’s game at FC Nantes 3-0. The criticism grew louder when the club also showed pictures of the return flight.
TGV boss: “Nantes can be reached in two hours by train”
Alain Krakovitch, CEO of the French express train company TGV, noted on Twitter: “Paris-Nantes can be reached in less than two hours by TGV. I renew our proposal for an offer adapted to PSG’s specific needs and to our common interests: safety, speed, services and green mobility.”
PSG coach Christophe Galtier saw it differently. When asked about the short-haul flight at the press conference before the Champions League game against Juventus Turin, he reacted with mockery and ironically asked about travel options for the sailing cars, which are often seen on beaches. France’s Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra criticized this and wrote that Galtier “more responsible answers” used to.
Manchester United flew 15 minutes to Leicester
Professional football is repeatedly criticized for its harmful effects on the climate. The use of private jets is seen by many clubs as a way to get to and from destinations quickly, allowing players to recover as long as possible, which is conducive to sporting success. Private jets became so popular in England outside of football that this means of travel was not always available to clubs. A year ago, Manchester United were criticized after a 15-minute flight to an away game at Leicester City 120km away. The club referred to a road closure.
In Germany, too, there was a lot of criticism of the DFB in September 2020, when the national team traveled the 240 kilometers from Stuttgart to Basel by plane. The DFB justified the flight by pointing out that it was not possible for the players to travel by bus for reasons of regeneration, as sitting for two to three hours would have endangered their fitness and health. Another topic at the time was possible contacts outside of the team in the coronavirus pandemic.
Criticism also of Messi’s private flights
Last week, environmental activists criticized PSG superstar Lionel Messi for using his private jet. With 52 private flights from June to August, this would have caused carbon dioxide emissions of over 1,500 tons and thus more than the average Frenchman in 150 years, the Attac organization accused the Argentine.