Construction firms Vinci and Bouygues have launched a new legal action to extend their management of the Stade de France in Paris, website Stadium Business reports.
The two companies’ tenure at the 81,000-seat Saint Denis ground is due to expire on 1 July, after which it will be taken over for the next 30 years by the Lyonnaise firm GL Events.
The contractors have managed the stadium on behalf of the French government since 1995, with Vinci owning two-thirds of the contract and Bouygues one third.
When the 30-year renewal period came, Vinci and Bouygues put forward a plan to invest €400m in improvements, whereas GL Events offered around €120m. GL is the subsidiary of social housing concern Polygone.
In December, the government entered into exclusive negotiations with GL, prompting Vinci and Bouygues to launch an appeal to the Administrative Court of Montreuil, which rules on disputes between individuals and the state.
The contractors said there were irregularities in the tender process, leading to the unequal treatment of bidders.
The target of the action was Fin Infra, an agency that supports public investment projects.
In February, a judge rejected the appeal on the grounds that Fin Infra did not make a “manifest error” in assessing the technical and financial capabilities of GL Events.
Vinci and Bouygues have now launched a fresh appeal to the administrative court aimed at preventing the contract from being signed.
The administrative court will now make a fresh determination. If this does not overturn the decision, GL Events will take over the stadium on 5 August, in time for two concerts by Australian rock band AC/DC.
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