Pointing to examples at Portsmouth in the UK, Malaga in Spain and Servette in Switzerland, he said Gulf takeovers did not have a perfect track record.

BBC: Qatar turns to football for fame and fans

As for Servette, Iranian owner Majid Pishyar simply released a statement on the club website Thursday saying that with a "broken heart" he had decided to file for bankruptcy.

WSJ: Switzerland: Banks, Watches, Chocolates��And Soccer Scandals