Damaged pitch forces PSG to switch season opener

Paris St-Germain have been forced to move their opening Ligue 1 game after the summer's "exceptional heatwaves" left their Parc des Princes pitch "severely damaged".

The French champions had been due to start their title defence against Rennes in the capital on Sunday, but the fixture will be reversed and held in Brittany instead.

Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) officials said an assessment of the pitch in Paris "did not allow the match to be played under satisfactory conditions, particularly with regard to the safety and physical integrity of the players".

PSG say they will replace the pitch at the Parc des Princes before their next home fixture against Monaco on 4 September.

The club said they "fully understand the inconvenience caused by this change" but stressed it was an "exceptional situation".

France had its hottest day ever on average country-wide on 24 June, with temperatures hitting almost 41C in Paris and half the nation placed under a red heat alert.

The number of deaths recorded in France between 22 and 28 June increased by 2,025 - nearly 30% - and deaths rose by 62% in the Paris region alone during the same period.

Temperatures across western Europe have been exceptionally high this summer, with wildfires burning through areas of France.

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

An outbreak of fungus grew on Celta's pitch over the summer, when temperatures did not drop below 25C for over three weeks.