Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of the Ligue 1 defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, claimed Tuesday that Angel Di Maria wanted to move to the Parc des Princes and blamed UEFA president Michel Platini and his Financial Fair Play ( FFP) policy.

The Argentine winger joined Manchester United from Real Madrid for a British-record 59.7 million pounds (about 75 million euros) last week, but explained in an open letter to Blancos fans that he's willing to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu while he'd been left with no other choice but to leave.

Al-Khelaifi, however, told Le Parisien that Di Maria had preferred PSG before he turned down the chance since unwilling to meet Real's asking price.

"Di Maria wanted to come to Paris but even without FFP, we wouldn't have signed him," he said.

Though admitting that UEFA's financial regulations did not put PSG off signing Di Maria, Al-Khelaifi did launch a bitter attack on the European game's governing body and its president.

"I do not know if Michel Platini wants to kill French football, but FFP is not fair," said the Qatari. "It is very difficult to understand. The big clubs stay big and small clubs remain small. Otherwise investors will not come in football; they will go to other sports such as Formula 1."

"We respect the rules but want to discuss it with UEFA in October to try to change the rules a little," he added.

The Parisiens have been handed a punishment by UEFA last May respecting the FFP, introduced with the stated goal of curbing the allegedly excessive spending of Europe's clubs.

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