The signing of Lionel Messi by French powerhouse Paris St Germain was in line with European soccer's Financial Fair Play rules, the club's president said on Wednesday.
"We follow the Financial Fair Play rules," Nasser al-Khelaifi told a news conference alongside Messi.
"We are always attentive to Financial Fair Play. It's the first thing we check with the commercial, financial and legal people to see if we can do it before signing someone," the president said.
"I think the media need to focus on the positives and not just the negatives of these moves, but what positives he brings. He's an unbelievable asset to the club."
The owners of PSG, the deep-pocketed Qatar Sports Investment, have spent lavishly on its star-studded line-up in recent years.
Al-Khelaifi said people would be "shocked" by the financial revenues Messi would bring the club, though he quipped: "I hope Leo will not ask for more salary."
