Luis Enrique delayed press conference explained : Police was waiting for PSG boss

The PSG experienced a major glitch during Luis Enrique’s presentation on Thursday: a three-hour delay, and the reason was non-sport-related according to Mediapart.

The scheduled time of 2 PM, then 3 PM, 4 PM, 5 PM… and finally around 4:45 PM, the PSG live stream began for the presentation of Luis Enrique, the new coach. This delay was reportedly due to Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s plane taking off late, as reported by RMC Sport. « We apologize for the inconvenience caused, » the PSG tweeted.

According to Mediapart, the story is slightly different. Al-Khelaifi’s plane did experience a delay, but there was also another factor affecting the PSG president’s schedule. A investigating judge and police officers from the Central Office for Combating Organized Crime (OCLCO) were waiting for Al-Khelaifi to conduct a search at his home as part of an investigation into alleged wrongdoing by PSG, including charges of « kidnapping, » « torture and acts of barbarism, » and « organized extortion. » In this case, former minister Rachida Dati and the offices of Al-Khelaifi’s lawyers were also searched.

Pressured by Luis Enrique’s press conference, Al-Khelaifi had to sign a waiver to allow the search to proceed without his presence. « The investigating magistrate requested (from Nasser Al-Khelaifi) additional information and access, which was provided in a complete and open manner, in full cooperation with the authorities, as has been the case from the beginning (of the investigation), » confirmed a spokesperson for PSG’s president to Mediapart.