Girondins de Bordeaux, just that beautiful name already makes it worth a visit. But it's more than that: the club has a rich history in football and Bordeaux is a gorgeous city, being the French capital of wine as well. We don't see any reasons not to go to Bordeaux.
Bordeaux has an imposing list of former players, like Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse, Sylvain Wiltord and a certain Zinédine Zidane. Girondins de Bordeaux, with its characteristic marine blue and the white V on the chest, was especially in the 80s a real superpower in French football. But the last league title dates already from 2009, and nowadays they are struggling on all levels. The move to the new stadium in 2015 hasn't been a great success yet. Nevertheless, historical top side Bordeaux is always worth a visit.
The old Stade Chaban-Delmas was full of history, but couldn't fulfill all the demands of the current time. And so, Girondins de Bordeaux moved to a new, special for EURO 2016 built stadium at the northern edge of the city, not far from the Garonne river. Les Girondins are still struggling to make their new house a real home. But without any doubts, it's a real architectural masterpeace, with stands till the roof, held up by hundreds of piles from the outside.
Stade Chaban-Delmas has been given a second life. The in 1924 opened Parc Lescure, how the locals call is, is currently the home of Union Bordeaux Bègles, a rugby team playing in the highest league of France. A real must see for football fans, because besides it was the home of Girondins de Bordeaux for many years, there were also matches played for the World Cups of 1938 and 1998. The stadium is close to the city center, behind Boulevard Maréchal Leclerc and can be found by the gigantic arch above the entrance. Sometimes, the football- and rugby teams play at home in the same weekend, so you can visit them both then.
Just outside Bordeaux, in the small town of Le Haillan, Girondins de Bordeaux has got their remarkable head quarter, at the Rue Joliot Curie. The offices, training ground and academy are located at the beautiful estate of the dazzling Château Bel Air. In the castle itself is the board of the club seated, in the basement you'll find the dressing rooms for the players and in another building, the youth players have their home. Wander around, enjoy the idyllic area and have a look at a match of future stars.
Bordeaux has known a lot of success, and without exception, the titles werd celebrated at Place des Quinconces: the biggest square of France. Nearby, at Cours du Maréchal Foch 19, you have restaurant 'Nulle Part Ailleurs', once owned by close friends Christophe Dugarry and Zinédine Zidane. Elsewhere in the city center - at Rue Kléber 1 - you'll find Café Populair, property of Lilian Laslandes: the top striker who played an essential role in 1999's league title, up front with brother in arms Sylvain Wiltord. During the evening there's live music, and when the night falls there's a DJ.
Girondins de Bordeaux might be the oldest club of the city, only decades after the foundation the omnisports club started a football team. At that time, the popularity of football in Bordeaux had been growing already, because Stade Bordelais attracted already thousands of visitors at the moment. The second club of the city still exists to this thay - for the lover of lower league football: they play at the Stade Sainte Germaine at Rue Ferdinand de Lesseps.
Matmut Atlantique is so big that it's quite easy to get your hand on tickets for matches of Bordeaux, even for top fixtures against PSG, Marseille and arch rival Nantes. You can buy them at the official website of the club. Against other teams, you can easily buy a ticket on match day itself, at the ticket windows of the stadium or at the fan store in the city center.
Matmut Atlantique is in the area of Bordeaux-Lac, close to motorway A630. Take exit 4a or 4b and you're almost directly in front of the stadium. From the city center you can take the tram as well: tramline C ends right in front of Matmut Atlantique.
Beeld: Shutterstock, BSR Agency
