Bernard Tapie's time at Paris Saint-Germain
Bernard Tapie, the French businessman and politician, was once the owner of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for over a decade. He purchased the club in 2007 from his father-in-law, Jean-Claude Dassault, for $168 million. During his tenure as PSG owner, Tapie made several controversial decisions that have had significant impacts on the club.
One of the most notable events during Tapie's time at PSG was his decision to hire former Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal as their manager in 2015. Van Gaal brought a new style of play to the team, but he also faced criticism for his tactics and training methods. Despite these criticisms, PSG managed to qualify for the Champions League in his first season in charge.
However, Tapie's relationship with the club's players became strained after the club's financial crisis in 2014-2015. The club was forced to sell key players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, which led to widespread speculation about Tapie's ownership. In response, Tapie attempted to sell the club to a group of investors who were willing to invest more money into the club.
Despite this attempt to sell the club, Tapie remained in control until 2019 when he lost control of PSG due to legal issues related to his tax affairs. His time at PSG was marked by controversy and drama, and it remains to be seen what impact his departure will have on the club going forward.