There are just a couple of places in France where you can still find a piece of the famous EURO 1984 in France, Stade de la Beaujoire is one of those places. But even to this day, it's still worth a visit. FC Nantes is and will probably always be one of the greatest institutions of French football.
Didier Deschamps, Marcel Desailly and Claude Makélélé are just some names of top players that grew up at FC Nantes. Thanks to this, FC Nantes is seen as a legendary club, an institution that stands for a great youth academy, an attacking style of play and many successes in the past. Today, we find Les Canaris mostly at the bottom of the table. However, for most French people, FC Nantes still feels like a top team.
If you turn into the parking lot and discover the well-hidden Stade de la Beaujoire between the trees, you're confronted with a gigantic grey concrete construction, built for EURO 1984, which was hosted and won by France. From the outside, La Beaujoire isn't quite a beauty, but it is lovely from the inside. Especially when the grey seats were replaced by yellow and green ones. The fanatics at Tribune Loire behind the goal do their part magnificently, but you better book a seat on a side stand because, from the stands behind the goal, it feels like you're miles away from the pitch.
Close to the city centre, you'll find on Quai de Malakoff the Stade Marcel Saupin, named after the founder and chairman of the club. This is where FC Nantes celebrated most of their successes and formed their beloved style of play Jeu à la Nantaise. The original characteristics of the stadium might have vanished since it was almost completely rebuilt, but for the older Nantes fans this spot will always be holy ground.
Shortly after its foundation, the club played some of their matches in Stade de Procé at the Boulevard Clovis Constant during World War II. Along the pitch, there is a beautiful, wooden stand dating from 1936, which was surprisingly untouched by the heavy bombings of Nantes during the War.
In the city centre, on the Place de la Bourse, you'll find an important place in the history of FC Nantes. On 21 April 1943, in the narrow building at number 11, Football Club de Nantes saw the light of day. The Grand Café des Allies, where the foundation took place has left, but the building still has more or less the same meaning as it had back then. It's called Maximo Club now, a trendy bar with fancy cocktails.
Rue de la Fosse takes you from Place de la Bourse to Place Royale, the most beautiful square of the town. This is where the fans of FC Nantes celebrate their titles around the fountain. Some daredevils even stand on top of the fountain. But also during dark days, the Nantais come to the Place Royale. When in 2019 their striker Emiliano Sala, on his way to new club Cardiff City, disappeared with a plane above The Channel, the fans came together at the fountain. The images of the fans bringing flowers and burning candles for their hero were seen all over the world. Unfortunately, weeks later Sala and his plane were found at the bottom of the sea.
You can buy your tickets on the official website of FC Nantes. Usually, it's quite easy, but make sure you hurry up when they play against Bordeaux, Marseille or PSG.
La Beaujoire is in the north of Nantes, right next to exit 40 of the N844. From the city, you can take the tram as well. Tram 1 goes from the city centre (at Place du Commerce) to the stadium.
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