Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly keen on moving across the French capital to the Stade de France after hitting a roadblock in attempts to acquire their current home stadium, the Parc des Princes.
The French government has been putting out feelers that they may begin a sale process of the Stade de France but that is nothing more than a consideration at this moment.
The 81,000-plus seater stadium has been the national stadium of France since 1995 and has gone on to host the FIFA World Cup Final, European Championship Final and the UEFA Champions League final twice, as well as being the home stadium for the French national team.
The stadium is currently owned by the Consortium Stade de France but French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has revealed that a sale is a possible option, with hints of redeveloping the stadium in the process.
This has, in turn, placed PSG as a likely bidder for the national stadium as not only will it be a short trip across Paris to relocate, but negotiations to acquire their current stadium have stalled.
Last November, PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi confirmed that a bid to buy the Parc des Princes was rejected by the Paris City Council after they deemed it to be below the asking price.
In turn, the French club have reportedly angled for a move to acquire the Stade de France if a bid for their current home ends in a stalemate, as PSG have plans to begin renovations of the Parc des Princes only once a full acquisition is made.
Whilst Oudéa-Castéra has not ruled out any possible bid from PSG, stating that allowing the French club to call the Stade de France home would be the best opportunity to balance their business model, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo believes that the stadium “is not for sale”.
Despite this, Hidalgo has revealed she is open to working with PSG on any potential renovations the club has in mind for the Parc des Princes whilst in the control of the government, as another alternative for the French champions would be to build a completely new stadium in the capital.
L’Équipe reports that any starting bid for the potential sale of the Stade de France would potentially begin at €600M, with up to €400M needed for any required renovations.
Insider Sport Insight: If PSG were to pursue and be successful in a purchase of the Stade de France, it would help further establish their ever-growing brand across world football. The Stade de France boasts almost double the capacity of the Parc de Princes (48,000) and would elevate the matchday experience for fans of the club.
