Paris Saint-Germain is on the verge of dismissing its pitch manager, Jonathan Calderón, after a series of problems that have called into question the quality of its stadium. The news comes following the alteration of the Ligue 1 calendar and the sanction imposed on the club for not being able to hold the match against Rennes at its own venue.
Calderón, hired in 2013, was the first “ground manager” signed by a Ligue 1 club. Born in Northern Ireland and with previous experience at AstonVilla, the outfielder had been awarded as the best gardener in the Premier League in 2009 and 2012. His arrival at PSG sought to raise the standards of grass maintenance, a practice still unusual in France. However, according to L'Équipe sources, Calderón's stay in the capital seems to be nearing its end, as the club has called a meeting that could lead to his dismissal.
The immediate reason for the controversy arose when the first leg between PSG and Rennes, scheduled for August 23, had to be moved to RoazhonPark. The grass at the Parc des Princes was in poor condition, which forced the order of the matches to be reversed. The club attributed the situation to a heat wave that affected Paris and its surrounding areas during the summer. As a consequence, PSG was fined 150,000 euros for non-compliance with the calendar, although it regained the right to organize the return match at its stadium in March. Rennes, for its part, has filed an appeal with the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) to question the decision and the exceptional nature of the impossibility of playing at the Parc des Princes.
The CNOSF Committee must issue an advisory opinion before November 15, and the LFP will have to rule before the matter can escalate to an administrative court. If the second leg is held in Rennes, PSG would lose an important source of income and would be affected in its position within the Ligue 1 pitch table, where it finished fourth last season, behind Nice, Metz and Nantes, unlike its usual leading position.
Calderón's possible departure reflects the pressure placed by the club's management on the quality of its facilities, especially after the financial penalty and loss of reputation associated with the Parc des Princes ruling. PSG will have to quickly decide whether to keep the person in charge of the pitch or look for a replacement to guarantee excellence in the maintenance of the stadium, while Rennes' appeal is resolved and the return match in March is prepared.