Stade de Reims used to be one of the real French greats, but today they're quite anonymously playing in Ligue 1. Because of its past and location in the heart of the famous Champagne region, it's still a nice trip to an in some ways atypical club.
Have you ever wondered where the saying 'champagne football' came from? From Reims, of course, the capital of the Champagne region, north-east of Paris. In the fifties of last century, Stade de Reims was the first real French top team, winning several league titles and was the opponent of Real Madrid in the first Europa Cup I Final ever. Players like Raymond Kopa and Just Fontaine became big stars for the French national team, and were true symbols for the enthusiastic, attacking style of play that was called champagne football. Football like that has become a rarity in Reims, but the sport and sparkling wine still remain an important part of the city.
Only motorway A344 and a canal separate the Stade Auguste-Delaune from Reims' city centre, which means that is easily reachable by foot. The stadium has been the home of Stade de Reims since 1935, although it has undergone a metamorphosis several times, for the last time in 2008. The stadium is well visible because of the remarkable white roof and the floodlights that stick like four chopsticks in the air. It can host 21,000 fans, but the stadium is rarely sold out.
He is undeniably the best player in the history of Stade de Reims: Raymond Kopa. He wore, split over two periods, the red and white of Reims for 13 years. The son of Polish immigrants became European Player of the Year in 1958 when he played with Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo di Stéfano at Real Madrid. With Madrid, he won the Europa Cup I three times in a row, for the last time in 1959 against Reims, with whom he lost the final in 1956. In Angers, the stadium was named after him, and Reims honoured him after his death in 2017 with a statue right next to the stadium. You can find it in front of the main stand at the Chaussée Bocquain, next to entrance A.
You can see the Cathedrále Notre-Dame de Reims from the entire city, and is according to experts, the most beautiful cathedral in France. When Stade de Reims was promoted back to Ligue 1 in 2018, the players were saluted by their fans at the Place du Cardinal Luçon, in front of the church. And when Reims presented a new manager last summer, they did it on a rooftop with a great view of the cathedral's two towers. You can climb the towers as well, which offer you a great view of the city and the Stade Auguste-Delaune.
You must get a glass of champagne when visiting Reims. It's the most famous export product of the region. The sparkling wine has been important for the evolution of the city, and even for football. Stade de Reims was once founded as the football team of Maison de Champagne Pommery, one of the most prestigious champagne houses of the world, based in Reims. The club played their first matches in the Parc Pommery, close to the domain of Pommery. This park, at the Avenue du Général Giraud 10 is now applicably called Parc de Champagne, and in the centre of the park, you can still recognise the shapes of a stadium.
When you stay overnight in Reims, you can stay in a hotel right next to the canal, along the Boulevard Paul Doumer, centrally located between the city and the stadium. Here you'll find many big hotel chains right next to each other, but we stay here for the view. Aks for a room with a view to the front of the building, because it will give you a nice view of the Stade Auguste-Delaune.
Football isn't expensive in Reims, a ticket behind the goal for a regular match won't cost you more than a tenner. Prices and interest can rise quickly when there's a bigger match upcoming. Especially Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique Marseille and neighbour Troyes attract a lot of people to the stadium.
Follow the signs with 'Complexe Sportif' on motorway A344. They'll lead you to the stadium. From the city centre, it's just a ten minute-walk to the stadium.
