PSG replaces Parc des Princes pitch for Monaco visit

PSG has fully replaced the pitch at the Parc des Princes after the turf was damaged during the summer heatwaves. The issue even forced an early calendar change, with the first-round fixture versus Rennes, and the club now wants a safer, higher-quality surface.

Pitch brought from Ireland

According to L’Équipe, PSG’s head groundskeeper Jonathan Calderwood (in the role since 2013) was unable to prepare the surface as usual and therefore imported it from Ireland. His team travelled to assess the quality before choosing the Irish option.

The turf “strip-out” of the previous, heavily degraded surface was carried out on 25 August. In total, 700 rolls—about one metre wide and between 5 and 10 metres long—were shipped from Ireland. Installation took three days, 26 to 28 August, after which the gardening staff focused on helping the roots establish properly.

Rooting tests before kickoff

Once the pitch was laid, PSG ran a series of tests, with and without a ball, to measure rooting depth and stability. Despite the very short turnaround—just seven days after the roll-out ended—the club believes the new pitch is ready to host a top-level match with no risk for the players.

That match is PSG vs Monaco, scheduled for Friday evening (21:05). For Calderwood and his staff, the next hurdle will be ensuring the turf develops well into the Champions League knockout stages.

L’Équipe does not report the exact cost, but notes that upgrades like this are often estimated at over €500,000. As a reminder from the earlier pitch controversy, PSG was fined €150,000 for failing to stage the home leg as initially planned for the 23 August match against Rennes, by the Ligue’s competitions commission, as stated by L’Équipe.