Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is a multi-purpose stadium in Saint-Étienne, France. It is used primarily for football matches, and tournaments such as the UEFA Euro 1984 and 2016, the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. It is also used for rugby union, and was a venue at the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is nicknamed "le Chaudron" (the Cauldron), or "l'enfer vert" (the Green Hell), an allusion to the colours worn by the local football team, AS Saint-Étienne, given during the team's heyday when it drew particularly large crowds (the record being set in 1985, with more than 47,000 spectators). More recently, its current capacity was 35,616 before the current renovations, which began in 2011, and temporarily reduced this figure to 26,747. Since the renovations finished, the stadium holds 42,000 seated spectators (42 being the number of the Loire department where Saint-Étienne is located). The stadium opened on 13 September 1931, and AS Saint-Étienne's first match there took place on 17 September against FAC Nice. The stadium was named after Geoffroy Guichard, founder of the Casino retail group, who purchased the site on which it was built.

Description

The stadium holds 35,616 people. It is built in the "English style" (à l'anglaise), meaning that there are no corner stands. The four stands are named: The stadium has been renovated at several points during its history. The biggest renovations came in 1984 (for the European Football Championships), and in 1998 (for the World Cup). The stadium's capacity over time has been as follows:

History

1984 UEFA European Championship

The stadium was one of the venues of the UEFA Euro 1984, and held the following matches:

1998 FIFA World Cup

The stadium was one of the venues of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and held the following matches:

2003 FIFA Confederations Cup

The stadium was one of the venues of the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, and held the following matches:

UEFA Euro 2016

The stadium was one of the venues of the UEFA Euro 2016, and held the following matches:

2023 Rugby World Cup

The stadium was one of the venues of the 2023 Rugby World Cup:

2024 Summer Olympics (Football)