Tensions between Qatar-owned PSG and the mayor of Paris over the club’s stadium have deepened, raising further doubts about the future home of the capital’s top side as they chase a ninth Ligue 1 title in 11 seasons.
Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo were once seen regularly smiling together in the VIP seats of the Parc des Princes, but are no longer on speaking terms after a series of clashes.
At the heart of the quarrel is Khelaifi’s desire to buy the 48,000-seater stadium from the city, which Hidalgo’s left-wing administration has blocked over the past year, most recently in a vote by the city council on February 6.
“We’ve wasted years wanting to buy the Parc,” Khelaifi said angrily last week on the sidelines of a meeting of UEFA. “It’s over now. We want to move from the Parc.”
In other acidic comments, he suggested last month that racism was playing a part — “is it because we are Arabs?” he asked the Parisien newspaper — and he has called for “respect” from the mayor’s office.
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