Ligue 1 forced to take drastic action as PSG pitch deemed ‘unplayable’ days before opener

Paris Saint-Germain have been forced to play their opening game of the Ligue 1 season away from the Parc des Princes.

The French champions‘ home match against Rennes will switch stadiums due to a fungus outbreak on the pitch.

AFP

It will now be played at Rennes’ Roazhon Park instead on Sunday evening, with the surface deemed to be unsafe.

PSG confirmed the change following an assessment of the pitch conditions by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP).

The Parc des Princes’ pitch was said to be ‘particularly damaged’ due to the recent heatwave and the conditions have made it unplayable with regard to player welfare.

The game will stay as an 8:45pm kick-off local time (7:45pm in the UK) on Sunday, but PSG will now be the away side.

PSG statement

Revealing the news of the enforced change, PSG wrote: “The latest heatwave, following the successive and exceptional heatwaves that hit the Paris region this summer, has greatly accelerated the deterioration of the pitch at the Parc des Princes, which is now particularly damaged just days before the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Stade Rennais, scheduled for Sunday, August 23 at 8:45 p.m. as part of the first day of Ligue 1.  

“In light of this situation, the Professional Football League (LFP), in conjunction with Paris Saint-Germain, conducted an assessment of the pitch conditions.

“This assessment concluded that the current conditions did not allow the match to be held under satisfactory circumstances, particularly with regard to the safety and physical well-being of the players, which remain the absolute priority.   

“In order to allow the match to take place on the date and at the time originally planned, it has therefore been decided, in agreement with the LFP and Stade Rennais, that it will take place in Rennes, at Roazhon Park, on Sunday, August 23 at 8:45 p.m.  

“Paris Saint-Germain fully understands the inconvenience caused by this change for its supporters and all those who had planned to attend this match at the Parc des Princes.   

“The Club regrets this exceptional situation and will communicate all information regarding applicable procedures to ticket holders as soon as possible. ”

The Champions League winners also thank Rennes for making the match possible and hosting at their home stadium instead.

However, it has been reported that Rennes were reluctant to host the fixture as they don’t want to overload their pitch.

Meanwhile, PSG announced that plans have been made to replace the pitch at Parc des Princes ahead of their next home game, which will be against Monaco on September 4.

What happens to the reverse fixture?

Reports in France state that the reverse fixture in March 2027 will still be played at Roazhon Park and not in Paris.

Therefore, it is expected that both matches between PSG and Rennes are going to be played at the latter’s stadium.

But the possibility remains that Luis Enrique‘s side may not be pleased with playing an extra away game this season.

So, the LFP may face a conundrum at the start of next year when the reverse fixture comes around.