Explained: Why PSG expect to leave Parc des Princes amid clash with Paris mayor

• Negotiations broken down
• Paris' mayor unwilling to sell stadium
• PSG may have to find new home

WHAT HAPPENED? Paris Saint-Germain may have to leave the Parc des Princes, their home since the club's formation in 1970, as ESPN reports that Paris' mayor, Anne Hidalgo, has refused requests for the city to sell the ground to the club. The French champions have already invested heavily in improving facilities since the Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011 and were reportedly willing to fork out a further €500 million to purchase the stadium but have been rebuffed by Hidalgo.

The two parties have been negotiating a potential sale for some time but have been unable to reach an agreement. Hidalgo has now closed the door on any possible deal.

WHAT THEY SAID: "We have a very clear position. The Parc des Princes is not for sale and it will not be sold. This is a firm and definitive position. It is an exceptional heritage for Parisians," Hidalgo told Le Parisien on Saturday.

A spokesperson for PSG told ESPN: "It is surprising and disappointing to hear that the mayor of Paris is taking a position which, effectively, will force PSG, our fans and communities away from the Parc des Princes; while also - quite remarkably - adding tens of millions of Euros to the taxpayer burden to maintain the structure of the building, which is now 50 years old and in need of renovation."

AND WHAT'S MORE: The spokesperson added, "It is regrettable that the Mayor is now suddenly foreclosing -- definitively -- the sale discussions we've been having for a long time, with the club now sadly forced to advance alternative options for our home, which is not the outcome the Club or our fans were hoping for."

IN TWO PHOTOS:

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Hidalgo remains open to improvements being made to the stadium in order to bring it into the modern day, but QSI are reluctant to spend the significant amount of money it would take on something they don't officially own. It's looking like PSG are going to have to leave the stadium eventually, and it's unclear if they're looking to start over from scratch or purchase and redevelop an existing stadium.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR PSG: For the time being, PSG will be playing their football at the Parc des Princes, just not this weekend. They face an away trip to fourth-placed Rennes on Sunday.