Ris-Orangis sets out stall for PSG stadium

The commune of Ris-Orangis has set out its vision to repurpose a 97-hectare plot of land as a potential site of a new stadium for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that could seat between 60,000 and 90,000 fans.

Located in the southern suburbs of the French capital, Ris-Orangis is one of a number of locations that has come forward to potentially solve PSG’s stadium challenges. RMC Sport, citing the application file that Ris-Orangis has put forward, said the land in question, which currently houses a racecourse, would be transferable to the Ligue 1 club.

Ris-Orangis was previously intended to be the site of the French Rugby Federation’s (FFR’s) ‘Grand Stade’ project. In December 2016, the FFR scrapped the proposed project to build a new national stadium on the outskirts of Paris, choosing instead to focus on a new deal to play at the Stade de France.

The governing body of rugby union in France had been working on the project since 2010, but ending the Grand Stade in Ris-Orangis was one of FFR president Bernard Laporte’s pledges when he was elected.

Ris-Orangis’ fresh application sets out 2030 as a delivery date for a new PSG stadium, with the potential of the site being highlighted. The file read: “The site of the racecourse, although a good distance from the first (residential) homes, is located in a dense urban area and still developing.

“It also benefits from a qualitative natural environment: a 250 hectare wood on the edge, the Seine very close, it is also directly connected to the forest of Sénart. In addition, the site will be irrigated by a network of several deep geothermal wells, producing clean, renewable and competitive energy. This asset is decisive for the decarbonisation of the ambitious project imagined.”

The file adds: “All of these rare assets in Île-de-France allow Paris Saint-Germain to think, without hindrance, about its development for the next 50 years. On this time scale and in an exceptionally competitive context, PSG must have an exceptional site.”

In February last year, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi stated that the club would seek to move from the Parc des Princes following the City of Paris’ definitive declaration that the stadium is not for sale.

The City moved to end the prospect of PSG acquiring the Parc des Princes, with Mayor Anne Hidalgo stating “the subject is closed”. The Council of Paris voted in favour of ensuring that PSG’s current home will remain the property of the City and will not be made available for sale, as the club has been hoping.

Relations between the City and PSG over the future of the Parc des Princes have been at a standstill for some time. PSG is currently engaged in a 30-year lease deal for the Parc with the City, which is due to expire at the end of 2043.

PSG is owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and the club has been forthright in its belief that the acquisition of the stadium is essential to it conducting a proposed expansion from the current capacity of around 48,000 to 60,000.

In October, the City received approval to pursue legal action against Région Île-de-France’s move to reserve land for a potential new stadium for PSG, with senior officials questioning the motives of the project.