A sunny late afternoon in Stade Louis II must be the opposite pole of the cold, rainy night in Stoke. The ideal pastime after a day of strolling along the yachts and Ferrari's in the harbour of Monaco. And there are always tickets available.
There are few places that appeal more to the imagination than Monaco. The Grand Prix, the casino, the harbour; the paradisiacal microstate, between France and the Mediterranean Sea, attracts movie stars, musicians and top athletes from all over the world. The street scene full of Ferrari's, luxurious yachts en tower blocks between the rocks make Monaco a unique place.
Unique is something you can say about AS Monaco, undeniably a top team - both sportive and financial - through a mix of good policy, a outstanding academy and the attraction on the rich and the famous. However, it doesn't 'feel' like a top team, because of the relatively small fanbase and the stadium that always seems empty. Still, the place where Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappé made their first steps in professional football has got some sort of charm.
In tiny Monaco the Stade Louis II, in Fontvieille, the south west corner of the principality, is never far away. Back in the days, the stadium was directly to the sea, but because of the limited space in Monaco, they have reclaimed a piece of land. Stade Louis II blends in with the surrounding building almost perfectly, because of the similar architecture. What you don't see on TV: the pitch is eight meters above sea level and has a big sports complex beneath it.
Eye-catchers are the nine elegant arches who keep the stadium 'open' at one side, which gives a beautiful view from the inside of the stadium towards the mountains and the sea. Biggest downside to Stade Louis II is the running track, as a result of which you're sitting quite distant from the pitch.
If you stand behind the stand with the arches and take ten steps out of the stadium, you're suddenly in the French town of Cap d'Ail. Take the stairs up and you'll find another football pitch, with a special name: Stade Didier Deschamps. The most successful man of French football - world champions as a player and manager - lives here already since the time he managed AS Monaco, almost twenty years ago. After the French world title in 2018, the tiny stadium was named after him. Even though it's not really something special and there aren't any big matches either, the 'stadium' does give you the best view of the arches of Louis II.
Every year at the end of august, the whole football scene comes together at the Avenue Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo, in the Grimaldi Forum. The UEFA Awards for best players of the previous season are handed out and the draws of the European club tournaments are held. Since a couple of years, behind the building is a beautiful boardwalk called 'The Champions Promenade', an impressive walk of fame where the best football players the world has ever seen have literally left their footprints.
The heart of Monaco is Monaco-Ville, the oldest part of the principality on top of a rock. From here, you have a panoramic view over the whole microstate. At the Place du Palais you'll find the Prince's Palace, residence of Prince Albert II, the monarch of Monaco. He's not only the head of state of his country, but also a big fan of AS Monaco. In 2017, the squad was invited at the palace when they managed to win the Ligue 1, against all odds. werd de selectie hier voor het laatst ontvangen toen de ploeg tegen alle verwachtingen in kampioen werd. Walk on the Place du Palais towards the left, and from under the trees you'll have an amazing view on the Stade Louis II.
High in the mountains above Monaco is the village of La Turbie. Here, at the Avenue du Cap d'Ail, is the training complex of AS Monaco situated, surrounded by the rocks.
At the Rue du Portier 17 you'll find Pulcinella, an Italian restaurant very popular among footballers of all generations. Don't be surprised if you bump into Sir Alex Ferguson, Marco van Basten or Ousmane Dembélé here. We know that, because of almost every spot on the wall is filled with a picture of famous people who decided to have diner here. The food is good and - especially for Monegasque standard - very affordable.
Those who like to drink something in sportive surroundings can't miss Stars 'n' Bars. This sports bar in the harbour of Monaco has been visited by many sporting greats, and almost all of them have left a souvenir at the bar. Mostly motorsport greats, but hey, the bar at Quai Antoine 1er 8 is almost directly next to the Formula 1 circuit of Monaco.
Tickets for AS Monaco are very easy to buy at the official website of the club. They almost never sell out the stadium, except when the local heroes are doing a legendary Champions League campaign, like in 2004 and 2017.
When you drive at the D6007 and pass Cap d'Ail, you simply can't miss Louis II. When you cross the border, you'll have the stadium right beneath you. Inside the stadium, there's a parking garage.
No car? Bus 4 and 6 take you from several places in Monaco to the stadium, but from the harbour you can easily walk there.
If you really want to get rid of your money: from the airport of nearby Nice you can go their by helicopter as well. In just seven minutes, they take you from the airport to the landing spot right next to the Stade Louis II. Price tag: 600 euros per single.
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