PSG could be set to leave their home stadium after a row with the Mayor of Paris.
The Parc de Princes has been Paris Saint-Germain‘s home since 1974.
AFPThe Parc de Princes has been the stage for many of PSG’s most recent successes[/caption]
The stunning arena, which can hold almost 48,000 fans, is not owned by the club and instead owned by the city of Paris.
But this has led to conflict with PSG wanting to buy their stadium, which they have pumped money into renovating since their 2011 takeover but they claim is still in need of renovation.
But Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has publicly rejected any approach for the stadium, sparking a war of words and speculation that PSG could be on the move.
Quoted by ESPN, Hidalgo reportedly told the Le Parisien newspaper: “We have a very clear position. The Parc des Princes is not for sale, and it will not be sold.
“This is a firm and definitive position. It is an exceptional heritage for Parisians.”
PSG made their feelings clear in a statement responding to the mayor.
A club spokesperson said: “It is surprising and disappointing to hear that the mayor of Paris is taking a position which, effectively, will force PSG, our fans and communities away from the Parc des Princes while also, quite remarkably, adding tens of millions of Euros to the taxpayer burden to maintain the structure of the building, which is now 50 years old and in need of renovation.”
The club are reportedly reluctant to invest further in a stadium they don’t own, and they suggested they will now need to look elsewhere.
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The spokesperson added: “It is regrettable that the Mayor is now suddenly foreclosing – definitively – the sale discussions we’ve been having for a long time, with the club now sadly forced to advance alternative options for our home, which is not the outcome the club or our fans were hoping for.”
PSG are one of the world’s richest clubs and funding for a new ground is not expected to be a problem for the Qatari ownership.
PSG have spent the last decade dominating French football at the Parc de Princes and have won eight of the last 10 league titles.
If they were to win Ligue 1 again this year, it would pull the club one clear of Marseille and Saint-Etienne in terms of overall titles. All three clubs currently have 10 championships to their name.