Extreme heat forces PSG to relocate football match hundreds of kilometres away

France’s top football club, Paris Saint-Germain, has been forced to relocate the opening match of its title defence against Rennes at short notice after a summer heatwave severely damaged the pitch at the Parc des Princes.

PSG said the condition of its home pitch had deteriorated to such an extent "that the current conditions did not allow the match to be held", the club announced on August 19, according to French media reports.

The club said the condition of the pitch was considered unsatisfactory, "particularly with regard to the safety and physical well-being of the players".

The match venue was changed "in agreement" with Rennes, PSG said, thanking its opponents for "making the match possible".

Rennes, the capital of the Brittany region in northwestern France, is approximately 350 kilometres from Paris.

"Paris Saint-Germain fully understands the inconvenience caused by this change for its supporters and all those who had planned to attend this match at the Parc des Princes," PSG said, adding that "the club regrets this exceptional situation."

The club said it had "identified a solution for replacing the pitch at the Parc des Princes for the upcoming matches", with the work expected to be completed in time for PSG’s next Ligue 1 home game against Monaco on September 4.

Heatwave takes toll across Europe

France recorded its hottest day ever on average nationwide on June 24, when temperatures approached 41C in Paris and half the country was placed under a red heat alert.

The extreme heat was also associated with a significant increase in deaths. The number of deaths recorded in France between June 22 and 28 increased by 2,025, or nearly 30%, while deaths in the Paris region alone rose by 62% during the same period.

Temperatures across western Europe have remained exceptionally high this summer, with wildfires also burning through parts of France.

The extreme conditions have affected sporting events and facilities across the continent.

Spanish club Celta Vigo was forced to postpone its La Liga opener against Osasuna earlier this month after a fungal "disease" affected the pitch at its Estadio de Balaídos.

A fungal outbreak developed on Celta’s pitch during the summer, when temperatures remained above 25C for more than three weeks.

By Nazrin Sadigova