This time, it’s no longer a bluff. PSG is working to find land to build a new stadium. In the midst of a Paris town hall clash over the Parc des Princes, here’s a letter that thickens the “absolute divorce” file between Anne Hidalgo and Nasser El-Khelafi. She supports the position of the PSG president who announced in early February that he wanted to leave the Parc des Princes due to the lack of a buyout agreement with the mayor of Paris.
The letter, dated March 11 and of which Le Parisien was aware, confirms that PSG is accelerating the matter, exploring all avenues aimed at building a new stadium within a 20km radius of the capital. Signed by the Secretary General of the PSG, Victoriano Melero, it is addressed to Jean-Pierre Choulet, President of the Commission of Inquiry for the Environmental Master Plan of the Île-de-France region (SDRIF-E).
Behind the acronym lies the region’s roadmap for shaping regional planning between now and 2040. A strategic document, the draft of which was approved on July 12, 2023, was subject to public inquiry till March 16. Victoria’s Melero writes to the boss of 17 inquiry commissioners to make sure we’re on the right track when the time comes, if necessary.
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is not a candidate
In his letter, Nasser al-Khelafi’s right-hand man clarified that “the retention of PSG at the Parc des Princes is not yet guaranteed”, calling for the 50-hectare area to be welcomed within the SDRIF-E. Building a stadium to match PSG’s XXL ambitions. On the form, a pink dot symbolizing this area will be shown on the Common Destination Map of Different Parts of the Region (CDGT). Final adoption of the SDRIF-E by regional elected officials will occur this summer, which will ultimately be submitted to the Council of State for approval.
Several municipalities in Île-de-France have expressed their desire to welcome clubs from the capital. But no claimant has come forward yet. Montigny-le-Bretonneux (Yvelines), which has the advantage of being close to the PSG campus, which opened in Poycy last summer, and Aulnay-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis) have officially registered candidacies. “It’s a great project but the road is long,” commented the Yvelins elected official. Then, there are many away stadiums like Wembley or Sydney, but here we are talking about home stadiums. »
The Gonesse (Val-d’Oise) option is supported by the President of the Roissy-Pays-de-France Agglomeration. “We will welcome PSG with joy, for which this stadium will represent a dream, an image for our youth from the suburbs, especially from the outer suburbs who sometimes have the impression of being forgotten,” Pascal said a few years ago. Doll Days (DVD). The Joinville track (Val-de-Marne) may have been excluded because it did not meet the specifications. Other cities have since submitted applications.
But not Saint-Germain-en-Laye, whose history and name are forever associated with the Parisian club. “I told the leaders of PSG and Valery Pacres that it is not possible in Saint-Germain,” admits mayor (Horizons) Arnaud Pericard. The elected official cited inadequate transportation offerings and the fear of traffic congestion for residents. “I still do not despair that the club and the City of Paris will reach an agreement,” he continues. Because we all belong to the Parc des Princes. »
