Ligue 1 Side Nantes Announces Project To Build 40,000-Seat Stadium

Ligue 1 side Nantes announced it launched a project to build a new 40,000-seat stadium which it “expects to open in the summer of ’22,” according to LE POINT. The new stadium will be built next to the club’s current 37,473-seat Beaujoire Stadium. Club President Waldemar Kita said, “We want to do everything to make this stadium the best in France and one of the best in Europe.” The project will be privately funded by the club and French real estate firm Réalités. Réalités CEO Yoann Joubert said, “We will speak on the project’s figures when we have finished negotiations.” He added that the cost could be “around” €200M ($240M). In addition to the stadium, the project will include “lodging, a sports-medicine center, a marketplace and an academy.” The Beaujoire Stadium was built for Euro 1984, but is “no longer up to date with security features,” which disqualified it from hosting Euro 2016 matches. The Beaujoire Stadium will be demolished following the unveiling of the new venue (LE POINT, 9/19).