A visit to the club of legend Raymond Kopa might not be that obvious for the average football fan, but however Angers is still worth a stop. A historic team, a beautiful city and it's very easy to get tickets.
Angers SCO, from the west of France, lead a very anonymous life in Ligue 2, in de shadow of the famous castle of the city. But the last years, les Scoïstes found their way back up and since their last promotion to the Ligue 1 in 2015 Angers has been a stable club. And Angers, along the road from Paris to Nantes, has become a place where you can see good football for little money.
Even though Angers has been playing at the same place for decades, their home has changed over the last years completely. The Stade Jean Bouin, as it was called first, is renovated step-by-step. At the moment, they're rebuilding the new main stand. From the outside, it looks more like a tile showroom than a football stadium, but once you get in, it's not that bad, because of the black and white seats, and four different stands close to the pitch. In 2017 the stadium was renamed after Raymond Kopa, the greatest player in the history of the club, who passed away shortly before.
Place du Ralliement is the central 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 to your left 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 on the many terraces on the square.
Raymond Kopa was the first big French football star, a Zinédine Zidane avant-la-lettre, in the 50s of last century. That fame he gained mostly as a player of 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 came back after his retirement, and where he met his wife as as young player. It would remain his home until his death. After passing away, the Ballon d'Or Winner of 1958 was honored with a funeral in the Cathédrale Saint-Maurice, the cathedral of Angers at the 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 kilometer you are at the 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, for sad reasons: since 1963, his son Denis Kopa was buried here already, tragically passed away because of cancer, only four years old. Father and son rest in the same grave now.
Not far from the cimetery, behind the parking lot of the Rue Marcel Cedan, you'll find the Stade André Bertin. Angers SCO played their home games here in the 20s and 30s of last century. It's still used as a football pitch, but most facilities have been gone over the years. Nevertheless, for fans of Angers it's still a place with a certain history.
At Angers, 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 buy the tickets at the official website of the club, at the fanshop on the Place Saint-Croix or - when it's a low-risk match - at the ticket windows at the stadium.
Take on the A87 motor way 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
