Legal

Paris gets green light for action against Île-de-France’s PSG stadium bid

The Parc des Princes hosting the football competition during the 2024 Olympic Games

Featured image credit: Like tears in rain/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size

The Parc des Princes hosting the football competition during the 2024 Olympic Games

Featured image credit: Like tears in rain/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size

The City of Paris has received approval to pursue legal action against Région Île-de-France’s move to reserve land for a potential new stadium for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with senior officials questioning the motives of the project.

Elected officials in Region Île-de-France last month voted in favour of reserving a package of land of around 50 hectares, as part of a wider Environmental Master Plan (Sdrif-e). The exact location of the site has not yet been specified, but the department of Yvelines is reported to be in advanced talks to house a potential stadium for the Ligue 1 football club.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the City of Paris would yesterday (Thursday) present to the Paris Council a proposal that would authorise it to take legal action to cancel the amendment made by Region Île-de-France. This called for the “creation of a regional envelope to make possible sports projects of regional interest such as the future PSG stadium or the sporting heritage of the Élancourt hill (Yvelines)”.

Parisian elected officials debated the issue yesterday, approving the City’s request to take the matter to the administrative courts. Some 92 Council members voted in favour, with 33 against and 25 abstaining.

Speaking at yesterday’s meeting, officials stressed that the City is not taking legal action against PSG, but rather the Region. “I regret that the Region, without even informing us, proposed with this last-minute amendment, sites so that the idea that the club could leave Paris would prosper,” said Mayor Anne Hidalgo, according to Le Figaro.

Hidalgo went on to say “the primary vocation” of the 50 hectares of land allocated by the Region “is to build a commercial complex”. Deputy Mayor, Pierre Rabadan, added, according to Le Parisien: “Fifty hectares is the equivalent of three times the Stade de France, this raises questions for us.”

It was revealed in February that Valérie Pécresse, President of the Regional Council of Île-de-France, was canvassing leaders of towns within the region to see whether they could accommodate a new stadium for PSG.

Pécresse announced that the Region, in which Paris is located, would “open up all possibilities for a stadium outside Paris”. At the time, Pécresse stated that while she believes that PSG belongs at its current home, the Parc des Princes, she “had been contacted by the president of the club (Nasser Al-Khelaifi) to assess other sites in Île-de-France”.

Earlier in February, Al-Khelaifi stated that PSG would seek to move from the Parc des Princes following the City of Paris’ definitive declaration that the stadium is not for sale.

On February 6, the City moved to end the prospect of PSG acquiring the Parc des Princes, with Hidalgo stating “the subject is closed”. The Council of Paris voted in favour of ensuring that PSG’s current home will remain the property of the City and will not be made available for sale, as the club has been hoping.

Relations between the City and PSG over the future of the Parc des Princes have been at a standstill for some time, with the situation becoming increasingly fractious. PSG is currently engaged in a 30-year lease deal for the Parc with the City, which is due to expire at the end of 2043.

PSG is owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and the club has been forthright in its belief that the acquisition of the stadium is essential to it conducting a proposed expansion from the current capacity of around 48,000 to 60,000.

Hidalgo added yesterday: “It’s a crucial issue. PSG is Paris and Paris is the Parc des Princes. We have tried several times to re-engage in discussions with the club to find a solution, without going so far as to sell the Parc, with the aim of not dispossessing Parisians of their property.”

The City is instead seeking to negotiate a lease extension with PSG for the Parc des Princes. Commenting on yesterday’s vote, Rabadan’s fellow Deputy Mayor, David Belliard, said on X/Twitter: “Excellent news! Without ambiguity, the Paris Council voices its support for the maintenance of PSG at the Parc des Princes, the reopening of discussions with the club for a long lease, the opposition (in court!) to the absurd project of Valérie Pécresse to artificialise 50 hectares of agricultural land for a sports-commercial complex.”