A visit to the club of legend Raymond Kopa might not be that obvious for the average football fan, however, Angers is still worth a stop. A historic team, a beautiful city and it is very easy to buy tickets.
Angers SCO, located in the west of France, led a very anonymous life in Ligue 2, in the shadows of the city's famous castle. But in the last years, les Scoïstes found their way back up and since their last promotion to the Ligue 1 in 2015, Angers has been quite a stable club. Its stadium, which is in between Paris and Nantes, has become a place where you can see good football for little money.
Although Angers has been playing at the same place for decades, their home completely changed in the last few years. The Stade Jean Bouin, as it was originally called, has been renovated step-by-step. At the moment, they're rebuilding the new main stand. From the outside, it looks more like a showroom for tiles rather than a football stadium. But once you get in, it's not that bad, because of the black and white seats and the four different stands close to the pitch. In 2017 the stadium was renamed after Raymond Kopa, the greatest player in the club's history, who passed away shortly before.
Place du Ralliement is the main square in the heart of the city. Coincidentally, this is the place where it all started for Angers SCO as well. Looking towards the giant theatre - the eye-catcher of the square - you'll have on nr. 8 the building where Café Gasnault used to be. In 1919, Angers SCO was founded here. It's a store now, but you'll probably enjoy a couple of drinks somewhere on the square.
Raymond Kopa was the first big French football star in the 1950s. Basically the precursor of Zinédine Zidane. He mainly gained his fame whilst playing for Stade de Reims and Real Madrid, where he played with stars like Di Stéfano, Puskas and Gento. But he started his career in Angers, where he returned to after his retirement and where he met his wife as a young player. It would remain his home until his death. After passing away, the Ballon d'Or Winner of 1958 was honoured with a funeral in the Cathédrale Saint-Maurice, the cathedral of Angers on Place Monseigneur Chappouilie.
Raymond Kopa lives on in the hearts of the Angevins, at every home game. If you want to visit his grave, you walk down from the cathedral, cross the river Maine and walk straight ahead. After about a kilometre you arrive on Rue de la Meignanne, where you have the Cimetière on your left. Even when Kopa was still alive, it was a special place for him, but for sorrowful reasons. In 1963, his son Denis Kopa was buried here after tragically passing away because of cancer at only four years old. Father and son rest in the same grave now.
Not far from the cemetery, behind the parking lot on Rue Marcel Cedan, you'll find the Stade André Bertin. Angers SCO played their home games here in the 1920s and 1930s. It's still used as a football pitch, but most facilities have dissapeared over the years. Nevertheless, for fans of Angers, it's still a place with a certain history.
At Angers SCO, it's not difficult to buy tickets. The stadium is rarely sold-out and the tickets are very well-priced. At regular matches, you already have a seat behind the goal for less than 10 euros. You can buy the tickets at the official website of the club, at the fan shop on Place Saint-Croix or - when it's a low-risk match - at the ticket windows in the stadium.
Take on the A87 motorway exit 18b, and follow the exit until the first traffic lights. Turn right and follow the signs 'Stade Raymond-Kopa'. Turn right again at the next traffic lights and the stadium is right in front of you.
Images: Shutterstock, BSR Agency
