Emmanuel Grégoire (first deputy to the Paris City Hall) and Pierre Rabadan (deputy for sports) gave an update on the Park this Tuesday, at the Hôtel de Ville.
Easing tensions and renewing dialogue. Such were the ambitions of Emmanuel Grégoire and Pierre Rabadan this Tuesday, by convening a “press briefing” at the Hôtel de Ville in order to take stock of the Parc des Princes. After several weeks of war of words and while the Paris City Hall and PSG seem to have reached the point of no return, the First Deputy and the Deputy in charge of sport have endeavored to try to iron out the angles to “restore a framework for discussion” in a context “more peaceful“. All without going back to the words of the Mayor of the capital, Anne Hidalgo, who has clearly established that the Porte de Saint-Cloud enclosure is not for sale. And this while the Qatari management of the capital club has just as clearly established that there is no other option: “The Mayor forces PSG to leave his house. PSG are now forced to find alternative options to relocate the club.»
Except that Mr. Grégoire, wishing “restore a serene channel of discussion with PSG“, and in fact re-establish relations “brokenstill hopes to bring the club back to the negotiating table. “It is not possible for PSG to play elsewhere than at the Parc, not desirable, and we are very favorable to the idea of supporting the expansion program“, he assures, ensuring that the other options mentioned here and there (Stade de France, construction of a new stadium) are “baroque», «wobbly” Where “impossible“. In the best-case scenario, work to expand the Parc des Princes – up to 55 or 60,000 seats compared to 48,000 today – could start in 2024, the day after the Paris Olympics.
boycott or not boycott
If the tone rose between the two parties, notably with vitriolic statements signed by Nasser Al-Khelaïfi during the World Cup, it is because Qatar only moderately appreciated the boycott of the city of Paris at the time of the FIFA Cup. world. A mild understatement. Mr. Grégoire took the opportunity to provide an update on this issue, after mentioning “President’s statements out of nowhere and not very pleasant“. “The Qatari authorities took it as a boycott, but it never did.“, he promises.
One thing is certain: if there was ever talk of a sale among all the working hypotheses, with an offer from PSG at just under 40 million euros, last June, when Marie valued her property at 350 M€, this is no longer relevant. If he calls for the reopening of discussions, First Deputy Grégoire sees no other option than to break the current Convention for the Occupation of the Public Domain (CODP) and sign another one.
They wanted the butter and the money for the butter.
Emmanuel Gregoire
Remember that PSG joined for 30 years in 2013 and therefore enjoys quasi-ownership of the stadium, like Roland-Garros with the FFT. The current price? One million euros per year fixed and one to two million variable. If the Town Hall assures that the PSG does not “can not» get out of the contract, the sum does not however have enough to scare the club, if it decides to go to the clash and to continue to pay the royalty while evolving in another enclosure. An idea that Mr. Grégoire does not believe is realistic or possible. “The solution we are proposing to PSG is the most secure for the trajectory of its income in terms of the speed with which it generates additional revenue in terms of ticketing. And it is less expensive in terms of investment because it will necessarily cost less to pay only for the expansion with a renegotiated fee than to pay for the purchase and the expansion.“, swears the former chief of staff of Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayraud, slipping in passing that the Parisian leaders “wanted the butter and the butter money, that is to buy, but cheap“. It is said…
Read alsoParc des Princes: the point of no return between PSG and the Paris City Hall?
Former player of the XV of France, Pierre Rabadan, he plays the sensitive chord. “There is a historical dimension. It is a club that was built at the Parc des Princes, which grew up there, which evolved there. All the supporters are extremely attached to it. You shouldn’t overdo it too. PSG are linked to the Parc des Princes and vice versa“, he affirms, he who recalls that the City of Paris “has always posed as a partner of the club» and saying «arrested” through “the drift of relations in recent times» and the untimely declarations of some.
More than rental
Note that the PSG has already swallowed 80M€ to renovate the Park. The works could cost 500M€. “It’s not really renting. This is what we will try to make them understand. When you hold a CODP, there are specifications, but you have the benefit of the owner. We have plenty of proposals to make to them, including in the event that QSI would like to resell. If applicable, they would sell with the benefit of the related CODP“, argues Mr. Grégoire, recalling that this type of contract is “fluentin French law, but perhaps a bit abstract internationally. “They will be able to invest and recover their bet, they know it. It’s actually a symbolic subject because they don’t want to invest if they don’t own it. Except that we are not a seller“Summarizes the first deputy of Mrs. Hidalgo. To see if the message got through to Doha and the Factory…
“It would be quite brilliant to be able to deliver the new Parc des Princes before the end of the decade. We need a Paris Saint-Germain in Paris, a Parc des Princes at the height of PSG and we are 200% motivated and available to get there. I’m sure we’ll find a solution.“, concludes Mr. Grégoire, “100% safethat the two parties will eventually come to an agreement. “The question is how long will it take. We will achieve this in a common interest“. Chick?