PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaïfi has ‘immense respect’ for Bayern Munich

TL;DR

PSG's Nasser Al-Khelaifi expressed immense respect for Bayern Munich after their Champions League semifinal clash, where PSG advanced 6-5 on aggregate. He praised Bayern as one of Europe's historically great clubs and wished them well for the rest of the season.

Key points

PSG defeated Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate in the semifinals
Nasser Al-Khelaifi praised Bayern's history and performance
Controversial refereeing decisions marked the two-legged match

Mentioned in this story

Paris Saint-GermainBayern MunichNasser Al-KhelaifiJan-Christian DreesenGermany

UEFA Champions League

Nasser Al-Khelaifi (Qatar) celebrate during UEFA Champions League Semi final: Bayern Munich and PSG at Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany on May 06 2026. (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images It still hurts. It’s still bitter, but Paris Saint-Germain were arguably the better side over the two legs of the Champions League semifinals against Bayern Munich and won out 6-5 on aggregate. They’re set for a date with Arsenal in the final in Budapest at the end of the month while Bayern are left to rue their missed chances and shift their focus to finishing the Bundesliga strong to keep momentum ahead of the DFB-Pokal final. Similar to the two quarterfinal legs against Real Madrid, both matches for Bayern against PSG were laden with drama and controversial decisions, especially in the return leg on Wednesday night at the Allianz Arena. Nuno Mendes escaping a second yellow for a blatant, attack-stopping handball in a duel with Konrad Laimer was at the heart of the controversy alongside the referee not giving a penalty to Bayern for a handball in the box from João Neves from a close-range attempted clearance from . Drama and right or wrong decisions aside, neutrals were treated to quite the spectacle over the course of the two legs between Bayern and PSG, and after the second leg, PSG CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi had an exchange with Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, during which he had plenty of admiration for the German *Rekordmeister*. “We have immense respect for Bayern – one of the clubs with the greatest history in Europe. Bayern played a fantastic game that could have gone either way. But that’s football. We are proud and we wish Bayern all the best for the remainder of the season and next season,” he told Dreesen in front of Sky Sport (via ). At the time, Dreesen had to temporarily bottle the frustration he was feeling with some of the decisions in the 1-1 draw that had unfolded prior to his rendezvous with Al-Khelaifi in the mixed zone, but that couldn’t hide the level of respect between the two clubs. *If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on , , , or any leading podcast distributor…*

Q&A

What did Nasser Al-Khelaifi say about Bayern Munich?

Nasser Al-Khelaifi stated that PSG has immense respect for Bayern Munich, calling them one of the clubs with the greatest history in Europe.

How did PSG perform against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals?

PSG won the Champions League semifinals against Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate, advancing to the final against Arsenal.

What were the controversial decisions in the PSG vs Bayern Munich matches?

Controversial decisions included Nuno Mendes escaping a second yellow card for a handball and a missed penalty for Bayern due to a handball by João Neves.