UEFA has removed most of the stands at the Francis-Le Blé stadium. Which could force Stade Brestois to play its Champions League or Europa League matches elsewhere.
The Champions League is moving away from Brest… Despite their defeat against Monaco (0-2) on Sunday, Eric Roy’s men are still third in Ligue 1, and can still dream of qualifying for the most prestigious European competition .
Unfortunately for the Breton people, it is unlikely to see Real Madrid or Bayern Munich land at Francis-Le Blé next season. The dilapidated stadium does not meet UEFA’s requirements. Three of its stands are in fact built on tubulars, which is tolerated in Ligue 1 but prohibited by the European body. UEFA experts visited the site but, according to L’Equipe, the response was negative.
Forced to go to Rennes or Nantes?
The Brest leaders now have two options: still play at Francis-Le Blé, with only one full stand, and around 5,000 spectators; move to another city, Rennes or Nantes for example, to be able to play in front of a full stadium. This would allow us to potentially play in front of 36,000 people (at La Beaujoire), but we would have to ask the people of Brest to travel the kilometers that separate the two cities, which is not easy for everyone. And it would be heartbreaking not to be able to bring the Champions League to Francis-Le Blé.
