The stadium, according to city mayor Anne Hidalgo, "is not for sale" and "will not be sold."
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| PSG has made purchasing the land in the city's shady western outskirts a requirement for carrying out 500 million euro worth of modernization and development works — AFP |
Paris Saint-Germain threatened to leave their nearly 50-year home at Parc des Princes on Saturday after local officials refused to sell the stadium to them.
In an interview that appeared in Saturday's Parisien newspaper, city mayor Anne Hidalgo stated that the stadium "is not for sale" and "will not be sold" to PSG, which is owned by Qatar.
A club representative, meanwhile, expressed disappointment and surprise that the municipality sought to "turn Paris Saint-Germain and their supporters out of the Parc des Princes."
"PSG is being evicted from its home by the mayor."
Everyone loses in the mayor's position, he continued. PSG must now look for alternate ways to move the club.
"Neither the club nor its followers were hoping for this result," said the statement.
PSG has made the purchase of the land in the city's lush western suburbs a requirement for carrying out 500 million euro worth of modernization and development works.
The Parc des Princes was "no longer welcome" for PSG, according to PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who also said that they were looking at "other alternatives" in a November interview with Spanish sports publication Marca.
He asserted that the Qataris had "spent 80 million euros" in a stadium that "is not ours" prior to Euro 2016 and that they were "pressuring us to quit."
The club has previously made one offer to purchase the stadium, but Emmanuel Gregoire, Hidalgo's deputy, claims that it was only for 40 million euros.
He made fun of the Argentine player Leandro Paredes, who joined PSG in 2019 for 47 million euros, saying, "It's cheaper than Paredes."
The former velodrome, which had a 48,000-person capacity when it was built in 1897 and remodelled in 1972, has been the home of the Parisian club since 1974.
In 2014, the current 30-year lease began.
Hidalgo clarified the city's position by saying, "It is a solid and decisive position."
For Parisians, it is a unique piece of heritage.
Even though the sale is not her "first choice," her staff has stated that they are prepared to address the ground issue.
She added that "part of the stadium is on the ring road so we cannot dig," but that "we must assist PSG in its ambition and its need for reconstruction, for boosting capacity, and for modernising the Parc."
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