Paris Saint-Germain soccer club commissioned a communications agency from 2018-2020 to create fake Twitter accounts to campaign against some of the group’s targets in the French capital (including stars such as Kylian Mbappe), the Mediapart website reported on Wednesday. from AFP.

According to Mediapart, which publishes a report by Digital Big Brother (DBB), a company registered in Barcelona and controlled by French-Tunisian businessman Lotfi Bel Hadoud, this agency used an “army of trolls” in the service of the Qatari company. club to discredit personalities, journalists and even team players.

According to the report, among the privileged targets were “media considered hostile to PSG, such as Mediapart and L’Equipe, a fan who was punched by Neymar (not after PSG’s defeat in the final of the French Cup 2019), a girl who accused the Brazilian star of rape, as well as individuals from the club such as player Adrien Rabiot and former sporting director Antero Enrique.”

Mediapart noted that Paris star Kylian Mbappe was also “slightly moved” after statements made in 2019 when he made it clear he could leave the club, writes Agerpres.

According to the DBB report seen by Mediapart, which analyzes the activities of PSG in the 2018/2019 season, the digital army at the service of the capital club “was under the supervision of the communication department of PSG, which at the time was headed by Jean-Marcial Ribes”. The latter left the club in May 2022 to join the communications department of the LVMH subsidiary.

The strategy revolved around the reference account “Paname Squad”, which describes itself on Twitter as “a collective of Paris Saint-Germain enthusiasts”.

Contacted by AFP, PSG “strongly denies Mediapart’s claims”.

“PSG is an international brand that constantly works with social media agencies around the world to promote and celebrate the achievements of the club, its companies and partners, like all other companies. The club never entered into a contract with an agency to harm anyone,” PSG added.