The discrepancies between the Paris City Council and PSG have reached their peak this Saturday. The mayoress of the city, Anne Hidalgo, acknowledged in an interview with the readers of Le Parisien that the Parc des Princes “is not for sale” for the Parisian teamto which the club responded with a statement issued minutes later in which it stated that it “was forced” to move from its current stadium.
“Very clearly, the Parc des Princes is not for sale. And it won’t sell. This is a firm and definitive position. It is an exceptional patrimony of the Parisians”, declared Anne Hidalgo firmly to Le Parisien. It is the first time that the mayoress of the French capital has expressed herself publicly regarding the sale of the current PSG stadiumsince, up to now, Al Khelaïfi and the City Council spokesman were the only people who had kept different crosswords in the media.
PSG, meanwhile, was quick to react to the mayor’s words, stating that “it is surprising and disappointing to hear the mayor of Paris take a position that will force the club and its fans to move.” The statement from the French entity, very clear and conciseadded that the club “has invested more than 85 million in the maintenance of the stadium” and that, at the same time, “it has committed another 500 million euros in renovations for our fans and to allow PSG to grow and compete with other clubs by highest level in Europe.
The options of the Ligue 1 leader are not extensive. An alternative was to buy the Stade France, but its excessive price is an impediment to undertake the operation. Likewise, the possibility of building a new sports complex is on the table, although its complicated economic situation, accumulating more than 380 million euros of losses and disbursing more than 300 in a new sports city that will be inaugurated this year, reduce the margin of maneuver of Al Khelaïfi.
Anne Hidalgo, for her part, stressed in Le Parisien that “of course PSG must be supported in its desire and need to renovate, modernize and increase the capacity of the Parc des Princes”, but he will not sell the stadium to PSG at any price. Another possibility was that the City Council signed a long-term lease with the Parisians, but after Hidalgo’s statements, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which both parties agree.