France, June 9 -- When Paris Saint-Germain lifted the Champions League trophy on 31 May in Munich, the win was about more than football - it was the culmination of a carefully orchestrated geopolitical strategy launched more than a decade ago by Qatar, owners of the club since 2011.

In beating Inter Milan 5-0, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured its first Champions League win since the club was founded in 1970.

It was a demonstration of football prowess that would not have been possible without the state-owned Qatar Sports Investments.

The players recognised as much, lifting PSG's president Qatari Nasser Al-Khelaifihigh in the air as soon as they'd received the trophy.

The following day President Emmanuel Macron praised Al-Khelaifi as a...