PSG officially bid to acquire the Stade de France

According to the latest information reported by Le Parisien, PSG have just applied for the takeover of the Stade de France. PSG intends to acquire the stadium in order to play home games starting in the 2025-26 season.

All of this comes after the negativity of the Paris City Hall when it comes to selling the Parc des Princes to PSG and their Qatar-backed owners.

For three months, the club and the Paris City Hall have been fighting and in conflict regarding this subject. Everything was going smoothly until Anne Hidalgo changed the narrative and the negotiations reached a breaking point between Qatar and Paris. She was quoted saying that the stadium "would never be sold" and that her decision was "firm and final."

Mad at Hidalgo, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi (who until then had cordial relations with the city councilor) has not resumed negotiations with the mayor. One thing NAK has done, though, is getting things in motion by exploring alternatives now that PSG seem poised to leave the Parc.

Plan A is still to buy the Parc des Princes and expand its capacity. The second solution would be to build a new stadium in the western suburbs of the capital. One possibility would be to work on a project on the racecourse of Saint-Cloud.

PSG will leave the Parc des Princes, has already submitted a bid to acquire the Stade de France

As a last resort, acquiring the Stade de France could also be considered, even though this was initially only an emergency exit. These days, it feels like PSG are headed toward acquiring and playing at the French national stadium.

One of the main factors for this plan to eventually turn into a reality is the capacity of the SdF, 80,000 seats, along with the venue having the advantage of being perfectly served by public transport. The purchase price (€600m) would not include the costs of renovating the stadium in order to adapt it for hosting football matches on a full-time basis, which would put the total sum north of €1b according to some estimations.

The main impediment, obviously, will not be financial for PSG and their Qatari owners. The State of France wants the Stade de France to retain its versatility in order for it to host concerts and matches of the French football and rugby teams. This would not be compatible with the calendar of a major football club such as PSG.

To see more clearly among all these projects and succeed in deciding in the medium term, the club has commissioned the firm Legends. They are already running a study among supporters to measure their degree of opposition to a move from the Parc des Princes.

It is reported to be a long questionnaire on the expectations and desires of the supporters of PSG on which Nasser Al-Khelaifi will rely when presenting the final project in Doha.

Because given the sums at stake, it is the emir who will make the final decision in a few months' time.