Will PSG leave their sanctuary? City and Qatari owner at odds, Al Khelaifi wants to go elsewhere for money

Paris Saint-Germain will probably leave their sanctuary. The city has refused to sell the Parc des Princes stadium to the Qatari owner of the French giant. Nasser Al Khelaifi will now seek to leave PSG historic home.

According to French media reports, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al Khelaifi has been pushing for some time for the city to sell the Parc des Princes stadium to his club. The simple reason is to try to increase revenue through match ticket sales.

However, as reported by the well-known and trusted site The Athletic, the Paris city council has confirmed in the last few hours that the historic home of PSG is simply not for sale.

In fact, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said on Tuesday that she would support any conversion of the stadium to achieve the goal of increasing ticket revenue. However, she resolutely rejected the sale of the stadium.

This understandably creates a rift between the city and Qatar Sports Investment. The consequence is that the current owners intend to find a new home for the French club.

On the other hand, the club’s management has reportedly already invested tens of millions of euros in the stadium. However, they have not heard a positive response regarding its buyout.

Parc des Princes, it should be noted, has been home to the Parisians since 1974. In other words, PSG have never played in another stadium during their time in the top flight. Moreover, in 2013, the two sides agreed to extend the lease for another 30 years.

Other options for PSG?

PSG does not have many other options at the moment. Especially after Al Khelaifi withdrew his bid to buy the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, last month.

This is because the club decided that logistically, financially and culturally it would not be suitable for PSG, which is currently based in the west of the city. One alternative is the 19,904-seat Jean Bouin Stadium, where the women’s team currently plays.

Option number two is the 20,000-seat Stade Sebastian Charléty, which is eight kilometres from the Parc des Princes. In addition, Paris FC plays its second league game there.

Source: The Athletic, ESPN