Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have announced that their opening match of the new Ligue 1 campaign — a home fixture against Rennes — will be moved at the last minute due to damage to the Parc des Princes pitch caused by the summer heatwave.
The French football league's fixture committee confirmed late Wednesday that Sunday's match will now take place at Rennes' stadium instead of in the capital.
In an official statement, PSG said the pitch at Parc des Princes had deteriorated to such an extent that "current conditions do not allow the match to be played in good circumstances, particularly regarding player safety and fitness."
The venue change was made "in agreement with Rennes", according to PSG, who thanked their opponents for "making the match possible."
"Paris Saint-Germain fully understands the inconvenience this change causes for supporters and all those who had planned to attend the match at Parc des Princes," the club said, adding that "the club regrets this unusual situation."
PSG also revealed they have "found a replacement solution for the pitch at Parc des Princes for upcoming matches," starting with the home game against Monaco in Ligue 1 on September 4.
The defending Ligue 1 and Champions League champions opened their season with victory over Aston Villa last Wednesday in Austria to retain the European Super Cup.
