PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday threatened to quit the Parc des Princes ground, which has been their home for almost 50 years, after city officials refused to sell the stadium to them.
City mayor Anne Hidalgo said in an interview published in Saturday’s Parisien newspaper that the stadium “is not for sale” and “will not be sold” to Qatari-owned PSG.
However, a spokesman for the club said he was “disappointed and surprised” that the city wanted to “turn Paris Saint-Germain and their supporters out of the Parc des Princes.”
“The mayor is forcing PSG to leave its home.”
He added: “Everyone loses in the position taken by the mayor. PSG is now forced to find alternative options to relocate the club.
“This is not the outcome the club, nor its supporters, were hoping for.”
PSG has made acquisition of the ground in the city’s leafy western suburbs a condition for carrying out modernization and expansion works to the tune of 500 million euros.
In November, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told Spanish sports daily Marca that PSG was “no longer welcome” at the Parc des Princes, adding that they were looking at “other alternatives.”
“They are pressuring us to leave,” he said, insisting that the Qataris had “invested 80 million euros” — before Euro 2016 — in a stadium which “is not ours.”
The club has already put in one offer to buy the ground but according to Hidalgo’s deputy Emmanuel Gregoire, it only amounted to 40 million euros.
“It’s cheaper than Paredes,” he joked in reference to the Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes who cost PSG 47 million euros when he joined in 2019.
Inaugurated in 1897 then remodelled in 1972, the former velodrome, with its 48,000 capacity, has been home to the Parisian club since 1974.
The current 30-year lease kicked in in 2014.
“It is a firm and definitive position,” added Hidalgo on the city’s stance.
“It is an exceptional piece of heritage for Parisians.”
Her team have said they are ready to discuss the ground issue, even if the sale is not her “priority option.”
“We must support PSG in its desire and its need for renovation, for increasing capacity, for modernizing the Parc,” she said, adding that “part of the stadium is on the ring road so we cannot dig.”
Paris Saint-Germain threaten to quit Parc des Princes after city refuses to sell
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Paris Saint-Germain threaten to quit Parc des Princes after city refuses to sell
- Inaugurated in 1897 then remodelled in 1972, the former velodrome, with its 48,000 capacity, has been home to the Parisian club since 1974
FIFA and Board of Peace to support Gaza reconstruction through football
- The Board of Peace, established under the US President Donald Trump, held its first meeting focused on Gaza’s reconstruction fund, aimed at rebuilding the territory once Hamas disarms
FIFA and the Board of Peace signed a partnership agreement on Thursday to attract investment from global leaders and institutions for sustainable development in conflict-affected regions through football.
The Board of Peace, established under the US President Donald Trump, held its first meeting focused on Gaza’s reconstruction fund, aimed at rebuilding the territory once Hamas disarms.
The disarmament of Hamas militants and accompanying withdrawal of Israeli troops, the size of the reconstruction fund and the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-torn population are expected to pose significant challenges to the board’s effectiveness in the coming months.
The FIFA collaboration plan includes building 50 mini-pitches near schools and residential areas in Gaza, five full-size pitches across multiple districts, a state-of-the-art FIFA academy and a new 20,000-seat national stadium, FIFA said.
Trump said FIFA will raise $75 million for football-related projects in Gaza.
“Today, FIFA and the Board of Peace have signed a landmark partnership agreement that will foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post conflict areas,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“Together with the support of the Board of Peace, FIFA will drive this partnership which is built to deliver impact at every stage.”
The program will also emphasize job creation, youth participation, organized leagues for boys and girls, community engagement and the stimulation of local commercial activities, FIFA said.
