According to French newspaper L’Équipe, Brest has formally submitted a request to UEFA to use Stade du Roudourou, the home ground of Ligue 2 side Guingamp, as their home stadium for next season’s Champions League.
Brest enjoyed a remarkable season, finishing third in Ligue 1 to qualify for the revamped Champions League. However, their home ground, Stade Francis-Le Blé, with a capacity of 15,097, falls short of UEFA’s standards in terms of seating design, safety measures, media seating arrangements, and VIP hospitality. After an inspection in April, UEFA decided to allow only 5,000 seats and restrict fans to one stand. Brest refused to accept this decision and immediately started searching for an alternative home venue.
With the support of local authorities, Guingamp Mayor Le Goff, citing “Breton solidarity,” offered Brest Mayor Couland the use of Stade du Roudourou, their home ground, on the condition that Brest would cover the costs of any UEFA-mandated renovations.
Stade du Roudourou can accommodate 18,000 spectators and largely meets UEFA’s requirements for hosting matches. Roazhon Park, the home of Rennes, was also considered as an alternative, but its greater distance from Brest and higher organization and security costs ultimately ruled it out.
L’Équipe reports that UEFA will send experts to assess Stade du Roudourou next week. The last time the stadium hosted a European match was in 2014, when Guingamp qualified for the Europa League group stage after a stunning victory in the Coupe de France.
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