Marseille mayor Benoît Payan open to selling Stade Vélodrome for €1bn | OneFootball

Marseille mayor Benoît Payan has opened the door to selling the Stade Vélodrome to Olympique de Marseille, the club that currently leases and operates the iconic venue. Speaking on L’Équipe de Greg on Wednesday evening, Payan stated that while he is not opposed to a sale, the price would be steep—€1 billion, to be exact.

“It’s not the deal of the century,” Payan admitted. “The stadium isn’t profitable. It costs a huge amount of money. But if one day the club decides to buy it, and has the money to do so, it can be done.”

The stadium, which underwent significant renovation ahead of UEFA Euro 2016, remains the property of the city. OM has long been a tenant rather than an owner—a rare situation among Europe’s elite clubs, most of whom own their stadiums.

Payan, who became mayor of Marseille in 2020, made clear that he would only consider a sale to OM, and not to an outside investor or private equity fund.

“If Panzani or a hedge fund says, ‘We want to buy it,’ I’m not selling. What I want is a serious stakeholder in Olympique de Marseille who says, ‘We’re buying it.’ If tomorrow Frank McCourt says he’s buying, and the stadium becomes part of the club, then it’s something we can consider.”

Despite the clear invitation, OM president Pablo Longoria has never publicly committed to the idea of buying the Vélodrome. The last serious mention came from his predecessor, Jacques-Henri Eyraud, who floated the possibility back in 2018.

For now, Payan says no formal talks are taking place, and acknowledges that any sale would be “complex,” not least because of the surrounding infrastructure and land involved. But the message is clear: OM’s ownership of the Vélodrome is no longer unthinkable—if they’re willing to pay the price.GFFN | George Boxall