PSG chief outlines stadium vision
23 May 2012
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has revealed his desire to demolish the Ligue 1 outfit’s famous Parc de Princes home and build a new 60,000-seat venue on the same site.
Despite the heavy investment of owners Qatar Sports Investment (QSI), PSG narrowly missed out on the French title to Montpellier in a title race that went down to Sunday’s final round of matches. Its consolation was qualification for the UEFA Champions League, which Al-Khelaifi believes is befitting of a larger arena than the 49,000-capacity stadium.
“There’s an atmosphere at the Parc des Princes that I’ve never seen anywhere else,” he told AFP. “It’s PSG’s home, its heart and its history. Of course, we have big plans. We want a bigger stadium. We dream of having a stadium with 60,000 seats here on the same site. It’s our first option. If it’s not possible, we want to renovate it to have 50,000 seats. There are other options. It’s easy to get 60,000 seats. You’ve got to knock down the stadium. To have 50,000, it’s just renovation. Paris is the capital. The city deserves a bigger stadium. Attendances have increased a lot this season and they’ll increase even more next season in the Champions League.”
Al-Kelaifi also refused to rule out a move to the Stade de France, a move former majority shareholder Sebastien Bazin was firmly opposed to. He added: “We’re talking with everybody. (PSG director-general) Jean-Claude Blanc is in charge of the issue. He’ll make an announcement as soon as a decision has been taken.”
