Marseille set to play first home game at Montpellier after rent row.

Since the local council at Stade Velodrome raised the rent to 381,000 euros ($513,200) from the 50,000 euros the club were paying during renovation work ahead of Euro 2016, Marseille have been threatening to walk away.

The club said in a statement posted on their website:

"After the failure of the last negotiations with the town hall to find a reasonable agreement for the Stade Velodrome rent, the management has decided that the team will not play in Marseille. We tried everything from our side to allow the Marseille fans to come and support their team in the Stade Velodrome, but the radical position of the ouncil has left us no choice, but to take this painful decision. It is, sadly, our only option to preserve the vital interests of Marseille, which cannot and will never pay what the town hall is asking for."

Marseille will now play their first home game on August 17 against Montpellier at their opponents ground about 170 km west of Marseille.