Behind the Scenes at PSG’s State-of-the-Art Campus

On 9 September, ESSMA members had the rare privilege of stepping inside Paris Saint-Germain’s brand-new training campus in Poissy. Officially inaugurated in November 2024, the Campus is one of Europe’s most advanced football facilities — and this was the very first time an external professional group was invited to explore it. A total of 45 participants from 12 different countries joined us in Poissy, where they were welcomed by a PSG delegation and treated to a rich programme of presentations and an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour. From state-of-the-art pitches to innovative revenue models, the day was all about learning how PSG has built and operates a campus designed for the future.

ESSMA Editorial

10 Sep 2025 · 2 min read

What Participants Learned

Nicolas Ramillon – Real Estate Director, PSG
Mr. Ramillon revealed the scale of PSG’s €300 million investment: a 74-hectare site uniting first teams, academy, and community programmes under one roof. His main message? Careful governance and early involvement of users in the design phase are key to making such a massive project both functional and future-proof.

Jonathan Calderwood – Head Grounds Manager, PSG
Mr. Calderwood lifted the curtain on pitch operations, explaining how his 40-person team replicates Parc des Princes’ conditions across the Campus. Sustainability is at the heart of the operation, with electric machinery, water recycling, and data-driven irrigation. His point was clear: investing upfront in uniform pitch quality guarantees performance and cuts environmental costs in the long run.

David Roberts – Director, ISTMA
With four decades of experience, Mr. Roberts took the audience on a global journey through turf management. From scorching summers in Kazakhstan to towering stands that block sunlight in Marseille, he showed the challenges grounds managers face worldwide. His key takeaway: sports turf management deserves recognition as a skilled profession — and global cooperation is the way forward.

Arnaud Delpech – Fan Interaction Manager & Maxime Boileau – Non-Matchday Revenue Manager, PSG
Mr. Delpech and Mr. Boileau explained how PSG maximises its facilities outside matchdays, offering everything from premium fan tours to corporate seminars and football tournaments. At the Campus, the challenge lies in balancing athlete training with commercial use. Their core insight: diversifying income streams is vital for long-term stability, even in a club of PSG’s scale.

“Optimising infrastructure development has always been part of PSG’s DNA — from the founding of ESSMA in 1996 by our former director Lionel Dreksler to today’s Campus PSG, where over 500 people come together daily to share experiences and boost performance.” – Nicolas RAMILLON, Real Estate Director at PSG

What’s Next?

For those who couldn’t attend, there’s still plenty to catch up on. Next week, ESSMA will publish separate deep-dive articles on each of the four presentations, sharing more detailed insights and takeaways.

In the meantime, you can relive the atmosphere:

? Discover all the pictures here: https://flickr.com/photos/essmastadium/