A rejection from French authorities means all efforts will now be turned to Stade de France.
Paris Saint-Germain will officially bid to acquire the Stade de France by the end of April, according to reports by L’Equipe.
The Qatari-owned club had initially fought to purchase its current Parc des Princes venue but its offer was rejected by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. This forced the club to propose a buyout of Stade de France ahead of the April 27 deadline.
“It is regrettable the Mayor is now suddenly foreclosing – definitively – the sale discussions we’ve been having for a long time, with the club now sadly forced to advance alternative options for our home, which is not the outcome the club or our fans were hoping for,” a PSG spokesperson said earlier this year.
President of PSG Nasser Al-Khelaifi had earlier set sights on boosting the ticketing and hospitality revenue of Parc des Princes and revamp the venue to pave the way for its hosting of a Champions League final. However, a rejection from French authorities means all efforts will now be turned to Stade de France.
“They are pressuring us to leave,” Al-Khelaifi said in an interview with Spanish sports daily Marca, stressing that PSG had “invested 80 million euros” in a stadium that “is not ours.”
PSG has yet to announce its official bid for the Stade de France, however reports say this will likely be revealed by the end of April.
Mbappe becomes PSG’s all-time leading scorer
The struggle for home turf comes as PSG has faced weeks of pressure following loss after loss on the pitch. However, Kylian Mbappe became PSG’s all-time leading scorer taking down Edinson Cavani’s 200-goal mark to make 203 for the Parisians.
The milestone was reached after PSG beat Lens 3-1, securing nine points at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
Mbappe scored in the first half before Vitinha and Lionel Messi fastened the game to a secure victory for PSG.
The Lens squad was on top early but was reduced to 10 men in the first 20 minutes of the match when Salis Abdul Samed was booked a red card for a challenge on Achraf Hakimi.
In a match that witnessed Messi’s 15th league goal, the victory was a sigh of relief for coach Christophe Galtier who has been severely under pressure for allegations of racism as well as eight losses for the team.
