PSG's Head Groundskeeper Threatened with Dismissal, Ambre Godillon Defends Him

Jonathan Calderwood, Paris Saint-Germain’s head groundskeeper since 2013, has been summoned to a preliminary interview “that could lead to dismissal,” according to L’Équipe. The news prompted an emotional reaction from Ambre Godillon, a columnist on L’Équipe’s channel and former PSG collaborator.

Cautious on the substance, the journalist first acknowledged her delicate position: “I know Jonathan Calderwood very well. I think that whatever I say, people will say I’m biased anyway, whether it’s Paris Saint-Germain or Jonathan Calderwood, so I won’t be able to comment on that.” She nevertheless chose to speak out.

Godillon paid tribute to the Northern Irishman by emphasizing the constraints specific to Parc des Princes: “I think he’s an immense professional, an immense groundskeeper, and he has working conditions that are not straightforward. We should recall the ergonomics of Parc des Princes, which sits on a ring road, with only a few centimeters of space, and he has to juggle with that—something no other pitch in France has to deal with.”

She concluded on a note of sadness: “He’s an artist but not a magician. We’ll see what happens, but I always find it a bit difficult.”

The triggering incident dates back to the first day of Ligue 1, when the PSG-Rennes match had to be switched due to the pitch at Parc des Princes being deemed catastrophic. Calderwood remains officially under contract with the capital club for now.