Paris Mayor Tries to Keep PSG at Parc des Princes with Several Options
PSG has abandoned the Stade de France option, but that doesn’t mean the club will stay at Parc des Princes. The Paris City Hall is making efforts to convince the club’s leaders to stay.
The future stadium for PSG won’t be the Stade de France. The club did not continue the process of acquiring the venue. Thus, it will either remain at Parc des Princes or move to an entirely new stadium. Several possibilities are on the table for PSG: Auteuil or Saint Cloud racecourses, sites near La Défense or Rueil Malmaison, Poissy, but all of these present challenges, both in terms of transportation infrastructure and obtaining permits.
The Paris City Hall wants to play its cards right. The abandonment of the Stade de France option is seen as good news by Emmanuel Grégoire, the first deputy at the Paris City Hall: « This means that we can seriously work on the hypothesis of keeping PSG at Parc des Princes because we understand that it’s either this option or a hypothetical new site. We continue to believe that Parc des Princes is the most secure solution, financially, technically, and sportively. So, we are willing to resume discussions as soon as possible with PSG to find a favorable outcome. »
« We have several options to propose to PSG. I won’t comment on any of them. I am hopeful that we will reach an agreement, » he explains to Le Parisien.
Regarding the renovation project of the Stade de France, « There have already been exchanges with our own services, with me. And they date back a long time. These are preparatory works that I conducted with Jean-Claude Blanc (former general manager of PSG). If I may say so, everything is ready on the technical side. There are still discussions to be had, notably about the perimeter. And to choose between several major implementation options. A sale or a long-term lease, the duration of which needs to be discussed to allow PSG to amortize its undoubtedly very significant investments. »
The deputy mayor of Anne Hidalgo assures that the project can be finalized quickly. « If PSG chooses to outsource its matches during the works to go as fast as possible, I was hoping to have the 2027-2028 season in the new Parc des Princes. Today, this is still a scenario within reach. »
However, PSG could also opt for a new site. « I am respectful of all options. I’m not saying it’s not possible. But that means finding available land, issuing the planning permissions related to stadium construction, providing a transport distribution hub that ensures the transportation of 80,000 to 100,000 people… I see no territory in Île-de-France that allows this within a reasonable time frame. It would be a matter of ten to fifteen years. I don’t believe it’s possible and don’t find it desirable. »