The Paris town hall still refuses to sell the Parc des Princes to Paris Saint-Germain, but Nasser Al-Khelaifi could still hope that in 2027 that would change with the departure of Anne Hidalgo. Qatar, however, risks becoming disillusioned.
While the president of PSG continues to advance his pawns in the future stadium project, there is an idea circulating in the offices of Parisian leaders, it is that when Anne Hidalgo gives up her place, her replacement, or her replacement, will have the desire to finally negotiate the sale of the Parc des Princes, which the current mayor stubbornly refuses. Even if Qatar is ready to offer a new 80,000-seat stadium a few dozen kilometers from the capital, everyone agrees that this is a bad idea.
Paris Saint-Germain is the Parc des Princes, that’s all. But the change of mayor risks not really giving Nasser Al-Khelaifi what he expects. Socialist candidate, and former first deputy of Anne Hidalgo with whom he is angry, Emmanuel Grégoire is one of the favorites to become mayor of the capital in 2027. And his position on the Parc des Princes file is clear.
Responding to questions from La Source Parisienne, the elected official prefers to be clear with the leaders of Paris Saint-Germain. “ No, I do not want to sell the Parc des Princes, and I will repeat why. It's not us who choose, it's not the mayor who decides, it's the Paris council. And I want to remind you that a very large majority of Paris advisors from all political stripes spoke out against the sale. It must be understood that the position against the sale has nothing to do with an obstacle to PSG's development strategy. It's simply that when you sell something, you're selling it for eternity. And we need guarantees on the preservation of the place, what it will be used for, etc. This is why we are instead proposing the logic of a very long-term contract which will allow PSG to develop its strategy in a completely free and interesting way on an economic and sporting level.
And at the same time to protect the heritage of Parisians over the long term, namely 100 years, 200 years. The Parc des Princes is a magnificent stadium, which has very particular virtues for those who know it: its capacity, the noise, its proximity, the fact that we are close to the pitch. It has a charm that many 100,000-seat stadiums don't have. I am very attentive to the PSG sports development project, but our duty is to protect the interests of Parisians and I am certain that there is possible common ground. », affirms Emmanuel Grégoire, who will therefore not be the one who sells the Parc des Princes to Paris Saint-Germain. In the opposite camp, Rachida Dati, who has already announced her candidacy for 2027, could be more sensitive to Qatar's arguments.
