A logistical blow for the reigning champions. Just as the Parc des Princes was preparing to host the opening of the league season, the first whistle will instead be heard nearly 350 kilometers away from the French capital.
On Sunday, August 23 at 8:45 p.m., Paris Saint-Germain and Stade Rennais will still face each other, but the match will now be played at Roazhon Park.
Parc des Princes Pitch Ruled Unfit
The reason for this last-minute relocation is the severely damaged pitch in Paris, scorched by successive summer heatwaves. PSG officials first raised the alarm on August 17. Two days later, after an assessment by a specialist firm, the LFP Competitions Committee ruled that the surface was unplayable and posed a risk to the players’ safety.
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Unable to find an alternative stadium in the Paris region at such short notice, PSG accepted Rennes’ offer to host the fixture. The Breton club quickly provided the logistical guarantees required, and the LFP approved the switch: the first meeting will take place in Brittany this Sunday, while the return fixture is expected to be played in Paris later in the season.
PSG are now racing against time to install a completely new pitch at the Parc des Princes, with the clear objective of having the stadium ready to host matches again by early September.
