PSG & the Parc des Princes – a struggle between tradition and ambition

“Le Parc Des Princes“, literally meaning the Prince’s Park, is the famous name of the home of Paris Saint Germain since the advent of the French club in 1970. The stadium was named as such because, from the 18th century onwards, the location was used as a place to relax, hunt and stroll, a favourite haunt of kings and royal princes.

Therefore, no other name was more suitable than the Parc des Princes. The years have passed, with the iconic stadium seeing many different “Princes” throughout its history. From Raí, an emblematic Brazilian player who played a significant role in the 1990s, winning PSG’s only European trophy to date, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, to Pauleta, a Portuguese striker who was the club’s all-time top scorer for several years, and more recently Kylian Mbappé. The Parc cheered many of the great Princes as they donned the Parisian tunic. Yet, due to disagreements between the Parisian board and the Paris City Council, “les Rouges et Bleu” may no longer be playing in the legendary stadium in the years to come. PSG recently formalised their desire to build a new stadium, according to Le Parisien. The shared history between PSG and the Parc looks to be coming to an end.

Historically, the Parc des Princes has only at times been solely a place for football. The first Parc was inaugurated on 18 July 1897 and had a capacity of 15,000 spectators and seats 3,200. It was surrounded by a cycle track. The Parisian press hailed the inauguration as France’s best cycling meeting ever organised. Between 1903 and 1967, the Tour de France completed its route on the Parc’s track. The track has also been used for motorbike races previously.

On 14 November 1897, rugby also debuted at the Parc with an inaugural game between Union