Surprise candidate for new PSG stadium

Image: Le Parc des Princes, Валерий Дед, CC BY 3.0

A new candidate has thrown its hat into the ring to host Paris St Germain’s (PSG) future stadium.

After Aulnay-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis) and Gonesse (Val-d’Oise), a surprising new offer has arrived on the desk of PSG President Nasser El-Khelaïfi.

L’Equipe said the town of Châteaudun (Eure-et-Loir) has said the French Ligue 1 club can build its new stadium on its land.

PSG has said it wants to leave its current Parc des Princes home after the club was blocked from buying the stadium by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.

The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium in Paris, France. It is located to the South-West of the French capital, in 16th arrondissement, near the 19,904-capacity Stade Jean-Bouin and Stade Roland Garros.

The stadium, with a seating capacity of 47,929 spectators has been the home of football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. PSG’s lease on their tenancy runs until 2043.

The club’s Qatari owners were keen to buy the Parc des Princes, built in 1967, from the City of Paris for a sum of around £85 million. They had already spent over £70 million on maintenance issues and estimated a further £420 million would be needed for an expanded upgrade.

But Mayor Hidalgo played hard ball and quoted an eye-watering figure of £250 million for a sale.

President Nasser al-Khelaifi last month confirmed that the club would be looking to move away from Parc des Princes. He said: “It is easier for us now. We know what we want. It’s over for us.”

Despite its distance from the capital, the town of Châteaudun believes in the strength of its case.

Located 130 km from the Parc des Princes, the town apparently has little chance of seeing its application succeed, but believes in its chances.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, is the feeling of the town’s mayor Fabien Verdier. He said, “Dozens of hectares are available to build a stadium.”

And he is even imagining the creation of a TGV station on the route to Tours and Bordeaux, to bring the club closer to its stadium.

In a presentation document, the town highlighted its assets. In addition to a lower price for land per m2 in Châteaudun than in Île-de-France, the municipality pointed out that its civil airfield is currently being renovated.

With its runway of approximately 2.3 km, it could accommodate the club’s planes and facilitate the return of Parisian supporters to the capital.

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